The modern world is full of noises in excess of 85 decibels – the level at which noise begins to damage the ears. While it’s impossible to avoid all exposure to loud noise, the more excessive noise you can avoid, the more you protect your ears. So how do you know whether a noise crosses that 85-decibel threshold? 

Generally speaking, noise is loud enough to damage your hearing if any of the following apply:

• You need to speak loudly or shout to make yourself heard.
• You cannot hear nearby people talking at conversational levels.
• You experience either ringing in the ears or muffled hearing after noise exposure.
• The noise exposure physically hurts your ears.

OSHA protects employees from workplace-related injuries, including occupational noise exposure. OSHA standards require employers to protect their employees from noise-induced hearing damage by:

• Replacing loud equipment with quieter alternatives (if possible).
• Providing breaks and other means of ensuring employees are not exposed to loud noise for extended time periods.
• Providing earplugs, earmuffs, and other forms of ear protection.

Be sure to use any ear protection provided by your employer and follow all relevant ear protection procedures. If you’re exposed to loud noise and do not feel your ears are adequately protected, reach out to your HR department with your concerns. 

Headphones and earphones allow you to block out surrounding noise and listen to your music, which has made many commutes much more bearable. Listening to music through headphones at high volume, however, is a common cause of hearing loss, so be sure to keep your music volume at comfortable levels. Consider taking the following steps:

• Don’t try to drown out surrounding sound by turning up music volume. Instead, use noise-reducing headphones. 
• Don’t set your volume to more than 60% maximum. Some music players and headphones allow you to set the volume to a 60% maximum.
• Avoid using your headphones for more than an hour at a time. Take at least a five-minute break every hour.

Nightclubs, concerts, school dances, and music festivals all have one thing in common: they can produce ear-damaging noise. If you're attending a loud event, be sure to take the following steps:

• Try to take a break from the noise every 15 minutes, if possible.
• Position yourself away from loudspeakers and other sources of noise.
• Wear musicians' earplugs, which reduce the volume you hear without muffling sound.
• Give your ears 18 hours to recover after exposure to prolonged loud noises.