Smoothies, Blenders, and Hearing Protection

[Guest guest]

Somebody asked where I got the hearing protection I usually wear while using my

blender to make smoothies, and which ear muffs I use. If one person asks, then

usually others are wondering too, so here it is.

 

 

 

I wasn't thinking the day I bought the ear muffs - National Safety has better

service and prices than where I did buy the ear muffs, and you don't have to

have an account or be a business to buy from National Safety.

 

 

 

I highly recommend National Safety as a source of safety equipment, and they

carry the same model Peltor ear muffs I'm using now. In general I like the

Peltor brand, have other safety equipment which Peltor makes, and National

Safety carries a variety of Peltor products.

 

 

 

If driving to National Safety isn't an option, you can order off their web site

and have your order shipped to you.

 

 

 

National Safety, Inc.

 

6910 South 196th St Kent, WA 98032

 

Phone (800) 213-7092 or (253) 872-7471

 

M-F 7 am to 5 pm (Pacific Standard Time)

 

It's halfway between Southcenter and Kent, a block off the West Valley Highway.

 

To get a map and directions on how to get there, click on " Our Facility " in the

middle of this page:

 

www.nationalsafetyinc.com/about.asp

 

 

 

The classic symptom on all the hearing safety posters is the ringing noise in

your ears. If you experience the ringing noise (or an increase in it) after

doing a noisy activity, then you just experienced hearing injury. Repeatedly

doing this will permanently damage your hearing.

 

 

 

My ear muffs for making smoothies:

 

Peltor H10A - Optime 105 - Over-the-Head Earmuff $24.50

 

Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) 30

 

Below is the link to the description and picture of the ear muffs

 

www.nationalsafetyinc.com/product.asp?Product_Id=34522 & d_Id=9323 & l1=9323 & l2

 

 

 

Besides having a high level of noise reduction, these ear muffs work well for

both high and low frequency noise. Most ear muffs cover a narrower band of

frequencies, so these are a multipurpose set of ear muffs, and are very

comfortable to wear. Also, like in other better quality ear muffs, the foam

linings for this ear muff are replaceable so when they get dirty you can just

replace the linings instead of buying a new pair of ear muffs.

 

 

 

A downside of the ear muffs which have the highest ratings (and the thickest

softest foam pads around the ears for comfort) is that they are bulkier than the

ones with lower ratings. The cheaper smaller ear muffs stocked at most hardware

stores tend to make painful dents in your ears and head if you wear them for

very long. This is why many people object to wearing ear muffs - it isn't the

concept of ear muffs which is the problem, it's the cheap ear muffs that are the

only ones commonly available which are uncomfortable to wear.

 

 

 

I like ear muffs better than the foam inserts you put into your ear because the

better ear muffs have higher levels of protection than the inserts, you can

quickly put on ear muffs and take them off, and the foam plug inside my ear

tends to cause an itching painful feeling after a while.

 

 

 

One note of caution: There is such a thing as too high a level of hearing

protection. There is a psychological factor called isolation (as in an isolation

tank), meaning you are being deprived of sensory input. At higher levels of

isolation, the more you are at risk for disconnecting from your surroundings and

drifting off. This isolation is fine if you want to go to sleep - it's not fine

if you are using power tools or driving a vehicle. Too much isolation caused by

safety gear around the head (ear muffs, goggles, respirators, helmets, hoods,

etc.) is a common factor in on-the-job accidents. So you want enough protection

to prevent hearing damage, but you don't want more protection than you need to

insure you hearing is fully protected.

 

 

 

If you do use high levels of hearing protection for extended periods, you need

to take breaks without the hearing protection. Doing this will reduce isolation

and allow you to reconnect with your surroundings before you drift off too far.

 

 

 

I don't run the blender for more than a few minutes at a time, and since the

ringing in my ears had gotten pretty bad before I paid attention to it, I

decided to get the highest level of hearing protection to be on the safe side.

 

 

 

I chose to error on the high side of protection because the more damaged your

hearing is, the lower the noise volume threshold at which you will experience

more hearing injury. This means that at some point of increasing levels of

injury to the hearing that even everyday noise levels will continue to damage

the hearing. So it's really important to preserve what hearing you have before

there is a significant loss of hearing.

 

 

 

I'm pretty discouraged that it took me so long to wake up and apply this hearing

safety knowledge to a kitchen activity. Apparently the kitchen seemed so " safe "

compared to noisy activities like work machinery, rock bands, and motorized

vehicles that I didn't even think about thinking of noise safety in the kitchen

until after the ringing noise in my ears became much louder than it had been

before.

 

 

 

I was already wearing hearing protection when I use my very loud vacuum when

doing house cleaning. Now I'm wondering what other " safe " household appliances

I'd be better off using hearing protection with.

 

 

 

May your day be filled with clarity, grace, progress, and warm laughter,

 

Roger