Choosing the right hearing protectors is vital

A good hearing protector must allow interpersonal communication and let workers be aware of their environment while they are protected. Cotral Lab helps you choose the best custom moulded earplug to meet the needs of each individual.

Having the right hearing protectors allows you to avoid two issues:

Overprotection: With an attenuation that’s too high, it is impossible to communicate. The employee is isolated from the environment, and is not aware of alarms and other warning signals.

Hearing Loss: With an attenuation level that's too low, the worker is not adequately protected and is at an increased risk of hearing loss.

The perfect level of protection

Evaluate your noise-related risk

Why do you need a diagnosis?

  • Know the dB level in each area of your plant
  • Understand the pros and cons of your current hearing protectors
  • Understand how satisfied your employees with their current earplugs. Do they wear them 100 percent of the time? If not, why not?
  • Make your employees accountable for their own level of protection
  • Effectively protect your workforce with the right level of attenuation for every worker in each area of the plant
Hearing Protection Specialist and employee during a noise mapping audit

The right custom earplugs for each individual

SAPAN

Developed by HearingProTech®, SAPAN® helps employers make the right choice for the perfect hearing protection device.

The following information is required for each employee:

  • The level of noise the employee is exposed to
  • The extent to which the employee needs to communicate while wearing protection
  • Any preexisting hearing loss
  • Any other PPE worn (safety glasses, helmet, etc.)

SAPAN® selects the best custom hearing protectors based on the specific requirements and working conditions of each individual.

Your Hearing Conservation Program: Let's eradicate ONIHL together!

Cotral Lab will guide you to success.

You can rely on Cotral Lab's professionalism at every step of your Hearing Conservation Program implementation, from the ear impressions to the adoption of your custom moulded earplugs by your team, followed by the validation of their effectiveness.

You will receive a satisfaction survey a few weeks after implementation of the program. Improving our process and making sure workers completely adopt the solution is a top priority at Cotral Lab.

Choosing the right hearing protector

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if employees realise that their hearing protection devices are not adapted to their environment?

Using your Essential Pack, by following SAPAN recommendations, you will be able to autonomously change your filters and manipulate the attenuation of your protective hearing devices.

You can also call Customer Service or your Hearing Prevention Specialist who will adjust the attenuation by changing the filters.

For many years now, I have been providing hearing protection devices (ear muffs, disposable ear plugs, etc.) to my employees. Yet the last occupational health inspection reveals that there is still considerable hearing loss among a few employees. How can it be explained?

Wearing hearing protection devices is an important factor that guarantees their efficiency. The best hearing protection is the one that is worn 100% of the time. If the device is not worn, even for a short period of time, its efficiency reduces rapidly. If the device is not worn for 2 minutes in an 8-hour working day at 80 dB(A), its efficiency is reduced by 25%. Here are the conditions that must be met to ensure that your employees wear their hearing protection devices 100% of the time spent in a noisy environment:

  1. Using comfortable hearing protection devices
  2. Adapting the device to each person’s work environment
  3. Being aware of noise-related risks
  4. Selecting hearing protection devices that are easy to use and clean

One of my employees has lost his Cotral moulded plugs. What should I do?

To replace a lost hearing protection device, get in touch with Customer Service at www.cotral.com. Click on “Your online assistance”, then “Request for assistance”. While you wait for your new moulded earplugs, you must provide alternative hearing protection to your employees.

An employee who wears a custom moulded earplugs is leaving the company. What should I do?

Your employee has been provided with custom moulded ear plugs. He is thus the only one who can use them.

I have just received the Cotral moulded earplugs for my employees. What are the next steps?

The first thing to do after distributing the custom moulded earplugs to your employees is to remind them of the importance of wearing them gradually. Even when the moulded ear plugs fit perfectly in the ears, they are still not a part of the body. Wearing them can be troublesome for your employees. It is therefore recommended to wear them regularly, but gradually: 2 hours during their shift for the first few days, and then gradually increase the duration. It takes two to three weeks to fully adapt.

What effects can an employee experience when wearing custom moulded earplugs for the first time?

When wearing their protectors for the first time, your employees could experience the following effects:

  • An internal resonance
  • The feeling of being in a soundproof box
  • An irritation in the ears
  • The impression that voices are too loud or the noise of machines is too low

Such sensations are perfectly normal. They do not last and disappear with time if your employees follow the adaptation recommendations.