Hearing Health House
Protect your hearing with Hocks Noise Brakers®
Protect your hearing before suffering a hearing loss!
Earmuffs
Earmuffs are worn over the ears and function consistently.
They have a NRR of up to 30 dB, and may be worn with other ear plugs for even greater sound protection.
Custom Solid Earplugs
Custom ear plugs are made from an impression of an individual person's ear for an exact fit.
They function consistently and have a NRR of up to 31 dB.
Disposable Earplugs
Disposable ear plugs are made of foam or other soft material. Actual noise reduction varies greatly between people, depending on individual ear shape, determining how well the plug fits.
Common Activities
Showing Decibel (dB) Levels
and Typical Physical Responses
Activity Approx. dB Level Typical Response
Threshold of hearing 0 Not audible
Whispering 10 Just audible
Leaves rustling; very soft; Living/dining/bedroom 30 Very quiet
Light car traffic; washer & dryer; normal conversation 60 Speech interference
Loud conversation; restaurant; vacuum 70 Annoying, with elevated speech interference Average factory 85 Very annoying
Permanent damage of auditory nerves usually commences at about 90 dB
Busy city street; motorcycle; lawn mower 90 Can damage hearing after 8 hrs of exposure per day Train horn; jackhammer; diesel truck 100 Can damage hearing after 2 hrs of exposure per day
Squealing pigs; inboard motor; typical night club 110 Maximum vocal effort; 30 min of exposure per day
Amplified rock music (volume varies) 110-130 30 - 3.75 minutes exposure per day
Heavy destruction of auditory nerves and sharp pain are not uncommon
Car horn; propeller aircraft; Harley, chainsaw 120 7.5 minutes exposure
Military jet; shotgun; hydraulic press, ambulance 130 3.75 minutes exposure per day
Gun shot; jet engine taking off 140 Danger level
Rocket launching 180 Danger
At 150+ dB: severe pain, immediate massive destruction of Auditory Nerves, and persistent ringing of the ears lasting for days is usually the result. Ringing can become permanent.
At this level of sound it won't take much, and you won't have to worry
about your hearing... you won't have any!