Hearing Protection Earplugs

Passive plugs, foam to custom, the core prevention tool

Overview

Earplugs are hearing protection devices inserted into the ear canal to reduce the level of sound reaching the eardrum. The main types are slow recovery foam plugs, which are compressed and expand to fill the canal, premolded plugs with flanges in standard sizes, and custom molded plugs made from ear impressions. Filtered plugs designed for music aim to reduce sound more evenly across frequencies. Each product carries a rated attenuation, in the United States the Noise Reduction Rating, derived from laboratory tests, but real world protection is often substantially lower because of imperfect fit and inconsistent wearing, which is why regulators describe methods for derating labelled values and why fit testing systems have been developed. Earplugs are often combined with earmuffs for very high noise such as gunfire or aviation. Comfort and consistent wear strongly affect the protection achieved in practice. Earplugs are a central component of workplace hearing conservation programs.