Rank: New forum user 
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Does anybody have any experience they can share, please, of using noise activated illumimating hearing protection signs?
I am aware of their obvious limitation in determining only sound levels, and not personal exposure on which the regulations are based, but wondered if they might have a use, in conjunction with risk assessment, where daily work does not exceed 8 hours and the nature of tasks means that each day is different from the day before. For example using a machine press in an engineering workshop where small jobs are carried out on all types of materials and thicknesses to order.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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If you look at the way these operate the sign illuminating when noise is present is great where the noise is continuous like a generator.
In your example of a press shop you could walk in without hearing protection as the sign would be off and suddenly be impacted by the noise as the press cycles. Maybe an alternative would be to have the power to the press illuminating the sign.
Then there is the small issue of what if the bulb to illuminate the sign has blown or the circuit has fused? Going old school a sign in a holder at the entrance which can be turned round depending on the days work.
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 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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If you look at the way these operate the sign illuminating when noise is present is great where the noise is continuous like a generator.
In your example of a press shop you could walk in without hearing protection as the sign would be off and suddenly be impacted by the noise as the press cycles. Maybe an alternative would be to have the power to the press illuminating the sign.
Then there is the small issue of what if the bulb to illuminate the sign has blown or the circuit has fused? Going old school a sign in a holder at the entrance which can be turned round depending on the days work.
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2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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A Noise activated sign is great in theory, but I am not sure how you would do it in practice. Questions could be: - What noise level would activate t-it would need to be below the action levels but how far below? Remember that noise is measured in decibels which are a logarithmic rather than linear, which adds to the complexity.
- Where would the noise sensor be positioned? In the work area or just before it or right next to the machine?
- Would you recalibrate it?
Roundtuit’s idea of just having a sign which comes on when the machinery starts makes miles more sense.
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1 user thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hi Leather I have serious doubt as to the likely efficacy of such a sign. If you have some continuous noise such as the generator that Roundtuit refers to, then the sign should be on whenever the generator is on and workers nearby, so what would be needed would be a sign that DOESN'T need any fancy electronics NOR a light bulb that may fail. In contrast for that press which might be in the middle of the shopfloor or the other press over to the side, what is needed is clear understanding of WHERE hearing protection is required when one, other or both presses are being used + probably other variables such as what other noisy activities are being done that will contribute in varying amounts to the personal exposure of Workers A, B and C. So, with any given set of circumstances it might be that any combination of Workers A, and/or B and/or C would be in a situation where you should be mandating the use of hearing protection. Marketing gimmick?
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