Question about hearing damage

I started work in a factory recently, and one day myself and another new worker were brought into a very loud area of the factory to take samples. I remember looking out for a sign on the way in that said "danger, loud noise", or something like that. But there wasn't any such sign. I didn't see any ear plugs on the way in. I remember thinking I should ask the supervisor, who was bringing us in, for ear protection. I didn't! I think I was hoping that if it were that loud that surely it meant that we were only going to be in there for a very short time.

When we were inside we could just about hear each other when we were shouting. So it would have been quite a bit louder than a night club. After about 2/3 minutes I asked the supervisor how many decibels it was in there. She didn't know. I then asked if we were going to be in there much longer, and she said yes. So we went back out and found some ear muffs. The supervisor got ear muffs for the other new person too. We went back in for about another 7 minutes and the supervisor didn't bother wearing ear protection during this time!

I resent the fact that she didn't give us ear protection. As everything causes hearing damage, I'd just have to be curious how much damage would have occurred during that amount of time? I'm sure there are people who have been doing silly things like this on a daily basis who can still hear fine, so I'm surely okay after a few minutes. But I've always had the impression that when it comes to hearing damage, that it's volume more so than duration that does the damage. In other words I wonder if I were in a night club for a whole two hours, would less damage actually occur during this time?

Does anyone know a lot about this?

 

I worked in audiology for 9 years. Did your hearing come back or gone permanently?

 

No, I never said it affected my hearing. I'm interested in what such habits could mean further down the road.

I have a slight hearing deficiency so that's why I am more concerned than most would be.

 

Wear protection. If you can get your workplace tested for a Db level

 

You'll be just fine, but in the future wear ear plugs.

On an interesting note:

The eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883 was the loudest sound ever recorded on earth clocking in at 310 decibels.

It was so loud it ruptured peoples eardrums on passing ships 40 miles out to sea causing irreparable damage and permanent hearing loss

 

Volcanos are a different story. 5 minutes above 100dB. 15 minutes above 80dB. More than that you need protection

 

I'm only 32 and I never really looked after my ears until I was late 20s and all those concerts and gunshots and loud cars and stereo systems did was give me a friend, a lifelong friend who's name is Tinnitus.

 

I say they'd fire me if I mentioned that. Anyway, that part of the factory isn't my actual work place.

 

I have that friend too. Louder in one ear than the other.

Do you also have a hearing deficiency?

 

My right ear is better than my left. Me left hear produces different frequencies of Tinnitus noise. When I'm out I notice it, like if there's noise and people want to talk but I can't say I've lost hearing. Most likely though, yeah.

Now I take my ear plugs everywhere.

 

It couldn't have been louder than your typical indoor concert. I highly doubt even a few hours is going to cause lasting damage. Long-term exposure to loud noise can have consequences, though. Sounds like you worry too much.

 

Yeah well, beyond your doubt, shit gets real.

 

Suck it up, there will be loud noises again. Since you didn’t have your plugs have you ever thought about putting your fingers in your ears?

 

After hearing crickets in December, I had my hearing tested. They took a history of work and recreation then performed the test. Afterwards, the examiner showed me chart of my hearing. He pointed out each event that, even with hearing protection, had damaged my hearing. The crickets were from nerves attached to dead sound sensors. No way to bring them back. After 20 or so years I have gotten used to them. Unfortunately, I can only understand what someone is saying if I supplement the audio with lip reading.

 

WHY ARE YOU ALL SHOUTING!!!

 

having to live in a city in order to not have to indenture myself to a car,
with all the sounds other people don't seem to think they could live without, i really wish my hearing were not nearly half so good as it is.

the one thing i envy people, little more then a hundred years ago, is for television and electronic amplification to have not yet been invented.
outside of steam powered mines and mills, perhaps even in them, by comparison with today, even city streets, but especially beyond the edge of the city,
so much wonderful, lovely quiet.

i'm sure if there were any funding still to enforce OSHA regulations, there would have been warning signs advising ear protection.
i certainly remember them being everywhere.

 

eh? what was that? speak up, we can't hear what you said.

 

I had a bad ear infection as a kid, and have been hard of hearing ever since. I still remember at the time, it sounded like two panthers fighting in my right ear.

 

I had a bad ear infection as a kid, and have been hard of hearing ever since. I still remember at the time, it sounded like two panthers fighting in my right ear.

 

All sounds are not created alike. High pitches can damage your ears permanently in an instant, while low pitches require days. In either case, a simple pair of foam ear plugs are a decent start. For the best results, in a factory you can wear active noise canceling headphones that allow you to talk to people without even shouting. I think they are around $200.oo and up.

 

I've since been told that it was 89 Db in that room! But it would've been high frequency.