World Hearing Day is a reminder that protecting our hearing isn’t just about wearing hearing protection – it’s about wearingit properly. In our occupational health surveillance clinics, we’re noticing a pattern with workers beginning to show early hearing changes due to wearing earbuds underneath their hearing protection.
Earbuds + Hearing Protection = Trouble
Hearing protection must create a proper seal to reduce harmful noise exposure, and the HSE stresses that it must be worn correctly, without interference from other equipment or objects that break or weaken that seal.
When earbuds are worn underneath ear protection:
Ear defenders trap the sound from ear pods inside the enclosed space
Sound is kept in, not out – often at unsafe levels
Noise can be unintentionally amplified and driven directly toward the eardrum
The worker feels protected, but the protection is no longer functioning as required
So Where Is the Hearing Loss Coming From?
This raises an important question we now ask regularly during hearing checks:
Is the hearing loss caused by the noise of the job role…. or by the fact that earbuds are being worn underneath the hearing protection?
Many younger workers will tell us, quite confidently, “I wear my hearing protection all the time at work”. And they do – but they are also wearing earbuds.
From a health surveillance perspective, this makes it harder to determine the true source of the damage. In some cases, the highest noise exposure may not be from workplace machinery at all, but from music or podcasts trapped inside the sealed ear defenders.
Using Hearing Protection the Way It Was Designed
According to the HSE, effective hearing protection depends on:
Correct selection of hearing protection
Proper fit, without interference from hair, hats, glasses – or earbuds
Consistent use in designated hearing protection zones and noisy tasks
Ensuring communication and warnings can still be perceived so workers aren’t encouraged to “adjust” or remove PPE improperly
When worn correctly, hearing protection reduces noise to a safer level. When worn incorrectly, it can unintentionally create the very risks it’s supposed to prevent.
A Message for World Hearing Day
These days, workers have access to the best hearing protection ever designed – but it only works when used as intended. Earbuds should never be worn under hearing protection. If listening to music is important, it must be done outside noise-exposed areas.
Protecting your hearing starts with understanding how your equipment works – how small habits can make a big difference.
If you’d like guidance on hearing protection training, toolbox talks, or interpreting your workforce hearing trends, get in touch with our Occupational Health team.
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