About 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise each year, according to a recent report from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), making hearing loss the third-most common chronic physical condition among adults.1

How loud is too loud? Workers exposed to workplace noises higher than 85 decibels (dBA) averaged over eight hours should wear hearing protection, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). For every 3 dB above 85 dBA, permissible exposure time is cut in half. So, noise exposure at 85 dBA for 8 hours is the same as 100 dBA for 15 minutes.2