Hearing Aids and workshop noise - need advice, please

[CoolNik]

Hi, I don’t know where to post this question, so would a Mod please move it, if I am in the wrong forum.

I have no hearing in one ear and very little in the other but wear a hearing aid in both ears. Generally I work in the shop by myself and do not have my hearing aids in and have never bothered with any ear protection. A friend has pointed out that I should be protecting what little hearing I have, which I agree with. He has also asked me to wear my hearing aids when he in my shop but I can’t get my hearing aids to stop making noise when I try to wear ear protection.

I ca’t be the only deaf person in the workshop - if you have hearing aids, how or what product do you wear to protect your ear and/or the hearing aid? I have behind the ear hearing aids so there is a part in the ear and a part behind. I also wear glasses so there is little room behind my ears.

please, please tell me what product or type of hearing protection you use?

 

[loftyhermes]

I have hearing aids in both ears like yours and wear glasses, when In the shed I don't wear them and wear ear muffs when using any machines, I don't see the point of wearing hearing aids and then putting on muffs, I don't know the brand, just some basic ones, (one pair is Yellow and the other is Red). The noise you get when wearing ear protection is probably feedback from the aids, I get it when I turn mine up too much.

 

[Jacob]

I wear hearing aids but switch them off and wear ear muffs if it's too noisy on a machine, . The aids are plugging my ears anyway so will be protecting them against noise to some extent.
It's difficult in a shared environment as you need to hear what people are saying - and what they are doing - they might be just behind you as you step back!

 

[Yojevol]

I'm in the same position, aids and specs. I have the aids working as normal in the shop. I have a pair of defenders which originally had a radio but is now removed. They are quite roomy and accommodate the aids well. The only problem is that they press on the spec arms which becomes uncomfortable after a time.
I have the latest Phonak aids from the NHS which are a big improvement on the previous Siemens. They detect and dampen out any feedback screech.
Brian

 

[Johnwa]

Hi Lofty, I too wear a hearing aid which I remove when I'm in the shop. For hearing protection I don't like ear muffs, the Peltor ones that I have become too tight after a short while. I find as well that they filter out the sound of the machine too much and I like to "hear" what they're doing, particularly the table saw. What I use is what we used in the factory where I worked. These are reusable ear plugs on a string, called 3m ultrafit. I drilled through the earpieces on my working glasses, threaded the string through, refitted the ear plug and then hang em round my neck, that way you don't lose your glasses or your earplugs. They are comfortable to wear you don't know you have them in and if they get gunked you just wash them in some soapy water. I googled them "3m ultrafit" and they come up between £1.80 and £5. You takes your choice.
Regards
John

 

[Lorenzl]

I brought a Peltor face shield but it came with the yellow ear muffs. I changed them to the red ones as they are better. I then started worrying about dust so brought the Axminster cap with blow down and have the red muffs over. The muff's don't fit very well which is a pain.

I take my hearing aids out as I got a lot of feedback which was annoying.