Hearing protection while welding?

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I received an email from Miller today.  In the email, there was a picture showing a welder (weldor) wearing ear plug hearing protection.

This got me thinking.  Hearing what the weld is doing is important to me.  Short circuit, I want to hear a specific "crinkle"  (some call it frying bacon, but it sounds different to me)  For spray, I want to hear the transition to a quiet "hiss".  Sure, I am looking at the weld, but the sound is giving me a confirmation also.Maybe this should have been in the Safety forum, but I thought I would get better visibility here(?)I also get that maybe the operator in the picture was just grinding on something...The question is, do others rely on hearing the weld as much as I do?  Do you wear haring protection for welding?Thanks for the input.Geoff
Reply:I still wear earplugs because they do not block 100% of sound, nothing does.  So I can still hear everything, just at a lower decibel level and that is enough for me.

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Reply:I pretty much put ear plugs in as soon as I go out into the shop. The time I spend  using grinders, saws, hammering and using tools generally more than the actual welding. Plus when TIG welding, it is virtually noise free except for when doing aluminum.  Sent from my SM-G996U using TapatalkMillermatic 252 MIGMiller Dynasty 200DX TIGMiller Spectrum 625 PlasmaAltas 12x36 Metal LatheBridgeport Milling Machinewww.psacustomcreations.com
Reply:Willie's post the othe day is typical for me. I am adlibbing his post but 4 hours of work to do 15 minutes of arc time is not far fetched Sent from my SM-G996U using TapatalkMillermatic 252 MIGMiller Dynasty 200DX TIGMiller Spectrum 625 PlasmaAltas 12x36 Metal LatheBridgeport Milling Machinewww.psacustomcreations.com
Reply:similar for me too4 hours blank stare and head scratching /  5-10 minutes arc time / lunch:
Reply:Here’s the real question…..does arc welding on a regular basis produce enough sound to damage hearing?   Has anyone measured the decible levels?    It is obvious that grinding with a handheld grinder produces both decibel and frequency ranges that will be harmful, not to mention most saws like a portaband, cut off saw, etc.    Just for the arc welding, I am more concerned about damage to lungs/sinuses because of fumes than the issues with hearing from just running a bead/beads on an average project.Miller Multimatic 215Spoolmatic 150 spool gunPrimeweld Cut 60 Plasma CutterVevor Pipe StandsBauer Portaband/Swag tableGrinders-Milwaukee, Porter Cable, DewaltArcUnion M-20 portable rod oven
Reply:Only reason I can see for wearing the earplugs while welding would be to keep hot berries from getting in there. I've been using a headset/face screen for the grinding and beating part (although the screen still requires safety glasses during grinding) and I'm kind of getting to like it.... almost... much quieter...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Ever had a molten BB roll into your ear canal while you have your hear turned? Ear plugs reduce the damage of you, or someone else in the area grinding.Extremely loud industrial noise, then someone feels the need to make idle conversation, I can better sort human voice with ear plugs.Had I used ear plugs  50+ years ago, I bet I wouldn't have hearing loss now. I remember Lee Sonic Ear Valves. I bought a set for shooting at maybe age 13. They were supposed to react to loud noise but not restrict ordinary sound. They absolutely did NOT work. Aside from that, I never heard of hearing protection until age 30. I can't estimate how many rounds of ammo, chainsaws, cutting tools, grinders, motorcycles, snowmobiles. Let's not forget rock music!By the way, I'm NOT buying you can't hear sizzle with hearing protection. That, I call BS. With hearing loss & hearing protection, today I was thinking how satisfying the sound of a fresh roll of wire.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

only reason i can see for wearing the earplugs while welding would be to keep hot berries from getting in there. I've been using a headset/face screen for the grinding and beating part (although the screen still requires safety glasses during grinding) and i'm kind of getting to like it.... Almost... Much quieter...
Reply:

Originally Posted by Willie B

Ever had a molten BB roll into your ear canal while you have your hear turned? Ear plugs reduce the damage of you, or someone else in the area grinding.
Reply:I protect my ears with music. No buds or earphones tho.

Now when I have to grind (a lot) I'll wear these.

Lincoln 330MPXLincoln Power Mig 256Lincoln LN-25X Wire FeederMagnum PRO 250LX GT Spool GunLincoln AC/DC 225¼ Ton of Torches OFC-A OFG-AAir Carbon Arc Gouging CAC-AEverlast 62i Plasma CutterIngersoll Rand T-30 14hpInstagram: #Freebird Welds
Reply:

Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds

Now when I have to grind (a lot) I'll wear these.


Reply:Standard getting dressed in the morning is a pair of loose earplugs in my pocket. They get nasty often. Between phone calls, I leave them in. I toss them when they look grubby, usually because my hands get grubby.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:

Originally Posted by Lis2323

i'm not posting a pic of my set. i'massuming yours look like mine and others will question our sanity when they see how gross they look.


Reply:Used ear plugs always in noise hazard areas an$ I’m still deaf, now have hearing aids in both ears.  Long term exposure to hazardous noise above 128 decibels is harmful even with hearing protectionRetired Old GuyHobart 210Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Evolution 14” Saw
Reply:

Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds

Well I do have 2 pairs hanging in the cabinet in the truck. Really doesn't help when grabbing the cleanest pair when you need them.But letting them get rained on does help. lol


Reply:Yea.... gross earplugs can be a chronic condition. I cure it by just having a clean tissue in my pocket and using chunks of that. Works, but probably not the best for dingleberry protection ...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:

Originally Posted by Lis2323

i snapped a pic of mine anyways. they don't look as bad as i thought....
Reply:

Originally Posted by RCWelds

not to mention most saws like a portaband
Reply:I was thinking the same thing  🤔. Dave

Originally Posted by StandarDyne

Earplugs for a Portaband? Really? You must have some delicate ears!


Reply:

Originally Posted by Lis2323

i snapped a pic of mine anyways. they don't look as bad as i thought....IMAGE CHANGED TO LINK TO ADULT CONTENT
Reply:Wait what were we talking about again?Lincoln 330MPXLincoln Power Mig 256Lincoln LN-25X Wire FeederMagnum PRO 250LX GT Spool GunLincoln AC/DC 225¼ Ton of Torches OFC-A OFG-AAir Carbon Arc Gouging CAC-AEverlast 62i Plasma CutterIngersoll Rand T-30 14hpInstagram: #Freebird Welds
Reply:The calendar 📅. Dave

Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds

Wait what were we talking about again?
Reply:racing boats, airplanes, rebuilding diesel engines and grinding all lead to WHAAAAT !!!
Reply:My family has a history of hearing loss on my father's side, and since I grew up as a competitive shooter, flying airplanes, in the military, etc I learned to be careful of my hearing early on.  I have a bit of tinnitus, that I'm pretty sure came from one event when I was in the military...we were training on movement to contact with actual opponents and our guns were all set up for blanks with MILES gear (lasers) and a guy let rip with an M-60 maybe two feet from my head...my ears rang for days.  Other than that, my hearing tests for work are always pretty good, so whatever I'm doing is working.In the past handful of years they've done some new studies on long-term hearing loss due to noise exposure.  One of the things they've found is that the threshold for damage is lower than they used to cite.  It's also now a combination of decibels and time, so anything over 70 decibels for a long period of time can cause permanent damage (can, not will).  A loud washing machine is 70 decibels.  Also, people often don't realize the decibel scale isn't linear...it's logarithmic, so going from 70 to 80 is a huge jump.  Your typical law mower is 80-85 dB.Plugs are good for most normal sources of noise, but not if there is a pressure element such as shooting a gun.  There, the pressure is transmitted to the small bones of your inner ear through the soft tissue just at the back and base of your ears...that soft spot you can push in.  Those bones are critical to hearing and they break down from the shock transmitted through the soft tissue.  Most law enforcement agencies now require muffs that cover the entire ear for training for that very reason.  That's also why so many law enforcement agencies are going to suppressors on their long guns...just a single shot near a partner can cause permanent loss.I wear hearing protection during anything loud...diesel tractor, skid steer, zero turn, leaf blower, string trimmer, chainsaws, grinders, saws, and often when I'm welding (especially AC TIG).  Heck, even when I really have to hammer on something I'll put on muffs.  When I fire up the forge to do some blacksmithing I immediately put on muffs...just the gas forge itself is loud.  I'll even use plugs or muffs when I use the shop vac for more than a few seconds.My take is that it's all cumulative and if I don't want to be deaf when I'm 75, I need to be taking care of my ears now.  I actually find that with many things it helps me concentrate...less noise = less distractions.  I often find I've stopped the noisy activity and still have my plugs/muffs on.I keep plugs and muffs pretty much everywhere in my shop and vehicles.  I recently got some custom molded acrylic plugs that have passive filters and I'm really impressed.  I like muffs because they're quicker to put on and off and don't get nasty like foam plugs (well, if they do you can wipe them off easily) so I use those more than plugs.When I'm doing something like mowing with the tractor/zero turn or using my skid steer I wear noise cancelling ear protection.  That way I am protected, but can hear if someone shouts at me, or if something is wrong like grabbing a piece of wire in the flail mower.Check out my bench vise website:  http://mivise.comMiller Syncrowave 250DXMillermatic 350P with XR AlumaProMiller Regency 200 with 22A feeder and Spoolmatic 3Hobart Champion EliteEverlast PowerTig 210EXT

Originally Posted by BillE.Dee

racing boats, airplanes, rebuilding diesel engines and grinding all lead to WHAAAAT !!!
Reply:

Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds

Wait what were we talking about again?
Reply:

Originally Posted by StandarDyne

Earplugs for a Portaband? Really? You must have some delicate ears!


Reply:These are pretty nice and basically infinitely reusable. https://www.northernsafety.com/Produ...BoCj9kQAvD_BwE I wear those if I'm going to have them in for a long period of time or if it's hot out. Otherwise I use low profile Peltor earmuffs.They have plenty of noise reduction, but I can still hear the stereo or talk to someoneSent from my Lincoln Buzzbox using Tapatalk
Reply:More babies 👶. Dave

Originally Posted by BillE.Dee

racing boats, airplanes, rebuilding diesel engines and grinding all lead to WHAAAAT !!!
Reply:I do not like using Hearing protection when I am welding.  I listen to weld to how it is doing.  Dave

Originally Posted by 52 Ford

These are pretty nice and basically infinitely reusable. https://www.northernsafety.com/Produ...BoCj9kQAvD_BwE I wear those if I'm going to have them in for a long period of time or if it's hot out. Otherwise I use low profile Peltor earmuffs.They have plenty of noise reduction, but I can still hear the stereo or talk to someoneSent from my Lincoln Buzzbox using Tapatalk
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

Only reason I can see for wearing the earplugs while welding would be to keep hot berries from getting in there. I've been using a headset/face screen for the grinding and beating part (although the screen still requires safety glasses during grinding) and I'm kind of getting to like it.... almost... much quieter...
Reply:

Originally Posted by G-ManBart

Plugs are good for most normal sources of noise, but not if there is a pressure element such as shooting a gun.  There, the pressure is transmitted to the small bones of your inner ear through the soft tissue just at the back and base of your ears...that soft spot you can push in.  Those bones are critical to hearing and they break down from the shock transmitted through the soft tissue.  Most law enforcement agencies now require muffs that cover the entire ear for training for that very reason.
Reply:Any notice the moderator name Tensaiteki.Dave
Reply:

Originally Posted by StandarDyne

I've been a competitive shooter for a long time, but this is the first time I've heard about this. Thanks!(I guess it also helps explain why we require junior shooters on the High Power team to use both earplugs and earmuffs.)
Reply:I use to use the foam guys that you roll up and stuff in your ear, still use them at home Using up the rest of a big box. They get dirty being stuffed in a shirt pocket. I have some of those rubber ones on a string I use at work, plug a set of 3M muffs for when I am doing a lot of grinding or using the band saw on some sheet metal. I use to fly a lot for work and always wore ear plugs on the plane. A lot of the stewardesses had hearing issues if they had been doing the job a while. the air wooshing noise can get pretty loud, especially at the back of the plane behind the jet engines. Just a bit of an elevated db over a life time will cause hearing issues. A lot of deaf people walking around in factories that "aren't that bad".I still have noticed some hearing loss over the past 10 years even with wearing ear plugs most of the time. I only ever used the foam guys at the indoor pistol range, probably should be using the ear muffs too...Airco Auto-Pak 130Forney 235AC/DC
Reply:This is not a joke,, for some reason,, at Sam's Club today, the noise was deafening,,I thought it was just loud sounding because I have a military hearing loss,,but, my wife commented about it when we got out of the building.Maybe it was just that the place was packed,, maybe it was mostly packed with older people (They ALWAYS talk loud to each other,, anyways)Whatever reason,, we discussed putting ear plugs in the car for the next trip to Sam's Club,,,