6 Key Points Regarding Hearing Protection
The importance of protecting children’s hearing in noisy situations with earmuffs is a recent phenomenon and 6 key points to bear in mind when looking at hearing protection.
Point 1: Is hearing protection good for my child?
- The designers of Banz earmuffs know that if you needed to get your child’s attention urgently and they couldn’t hear you, it would be dangerous – and putting babies and children into a ‘cone of silence’ would be upsetting, especially to very young ones.
- As total noise cancelling is impractical, Banz earmuffs reduce loud, damaging noise to a safe level – and let softer sounds, such as speech, be heard. Sensitive Care. Sensible Choice” is Banz Carewear motto
Point 2: Should earmuffs be worn over a beanie or hoodie?
- We recommend adjusting your child’s earmuffs to fit correctly before putting them on over the ears, THEN put the hat or beanie over the top. The reason is that the earmuffs can’t seal properly over the ears and there could be “sound leak”. An opinion from David Welch, head of the Audiology Department at the University of Auckland, says: ” Make sure babies are not wearing hats when you put the earmuffs on. If the cushion cannot seal on the side of the head, the sound can get through and it is amazing how much gets in. It is a real problem we encounter often in adults who work in cold environments and wear woollen hats to keep warm, then don earmuffs on top – the sound just cuts through wool as though it wasn’t there.”
Point 3: Why do the earmuffs need to be specific to baby and kids?
- The one need that is different from adults is size, especially babies, the other point is weight as well as the incorrect size earmuffs can’t seal property around the children’s ears so the protection factor is then gone.
- Babies heads are softer head than adults, with the fontanelles or ‘soft spots’ yet to close. Adult-size earmuffs put an adult-force grip over the head which can be dangerous, especially for children under two years.
- Banz earmuffs, both the Mini size for under 3 years and the Protective size for 3-10+ years, are especially designed to fit correctly – and they will keep up with your child’s growth, as they are adjustable. Importantly, the headband on the Mini Muffs is specially made with a light tension, so the earmuffs won’t put the squeeze on soft baby heads.
Point 4: What is different about Banz hearing protection.
- The classic ‘earcups connected by an over-the-head band’ has stood the test of time as earmuffs were invented back in 1873 (for warmth, not for noise reduction). . The specially-designed headband on Banz earmuffs won’t slip – and there’s a lot more technology in a padded Banz headband to keep soft baby heads safe than there is in a piece of stretchy material!
- A word on using earplugs for babies and small children: Experts recommend that nothing smaller than an elbow goes into a child’s ear canal, for good reason – trying to fish out an earplug, and especially ear putty, from a super-small baby ear canal is dangerous. Also, earplugs are a choking hazard for small children.
Point 5: What is the cleaning protocol?
- To clean your Banz earmuffs simply wipe over the set with a cloth dampened by mild soap and water. Recommended after each wear.
Point 6 : What about using the correct size for my little one?
- Banz earmuffs give an age recommendation as a guide. Every child is different and some will need to update their earmuffs to the larger Protective Earmuffs size a bit earlier than others. Once the earcups on the sliding adjustment of your child’s Mini Muffs are sitting at the bottom of the band, it’s time to consider upsizing for the near future – their age doesn’t matter.
