Ear Muffs, Ear Plugs & Electronic Hearing Protection Australia

Industrial hearing protection — ear plugs, ear muffs and electronic earmuffs

Industrial ear plugs, ear muffs, hard hat earmuffs and Bluetooth and electronic earmuffs from 3M PELTOR, Howard Leight, Moldex, uvex, ProChoice and Maxisafe, for construction, manufacturing, mining, warehousing and food processing. In Australia, hearing protectors are tested to AS/NZS 1270 and given a Class from 1 to 5 and an SLC80 rating in decibels. Most listings here show the class in the product name; a few imported lines are rated with the US NRR instead.

Which class do you need?

Under the WHS Regulations, noise exposure must not exceed 85 dB(A) averaged over an 8-hour shift, or a peak of 140 dB(C). Match the class to your measured noise level (AS/NZS 1269.3):

• Class 1–2 — below 95 dB(A)
• Class 3 — 95 to less than 100 dB(A), e.g. angle grinders
• Class 4 — 100 to less than 105 dB(A)
• Class 5 — 105 dB(A) and above, e.g. jackhammers and concrete saws

Higher isn’t always better: over-protection makes it hard to hear alarms and workmates, and people take uncomfortable protectors off. Our hearing protection guide covers SLC80, fit testing and audiometric testing in detail.

Ear plugs

• Disposable foam — the 3M E-A-Rsoft FX Corded 312-1260 and MaxiPlug Corded HEC644 are Class 5; the 3M E-A-R Classic 312-1201 is Class 4.
• Reusable — washable plugs on a cord, such as the 3M Reusable Corded Ear Plugs 1270 (Class 3).
• Banded — for people moving in and out of noisy areas: the uvex Xact-Band and ProChoice Proband HBEPA (Class 4).
• Metal-detectable — for food processing and packaging lines: the 3M E-A-Rsoft Metal Detectable 311-4106 and Detectamet Metal Detectable Earplugs.

Foam plugs only work if they’re rolled, inserted and held until they expand — train your crew on fitting.

Ear muffs and hard hat earmuffs

Earmuffs are quick to put on and take off, which suits intermittent noise. Headband picks include the 3M PELTOR Optime II H520A (Class 5, 32 dB) and the 3M PELTOR X5A (Class 5, 35 dB). For combined head and hearing protection, helmet-mounted muffs such as the 3M PELTOR X5 Helmet Mounted and ProChoice Viper Hard Hat Earmuffs clip into the slots on most hard hats — check compatibility with your helmet before ordering.

Bluetooth, radio and electronic earmuffs

• uvex aXess one — Bluetooth® earmuff, Class 5.
• 3M PELTOR WS ALERT XPI — Bluetooth® and FM radio, Class 5.
• 3M PELTOR WorkTunes Pro — AM/FM radio, Class 5.
• 3M PELTOR ProTac III — level-dependent: lets speech through while blocking harmful noise, Class 5.

These are rated hearing protectors with built-in audio, not consumer noise-cancelling headphones.

Dispensers and fit testing

Keep plugs where people need them with a dispenser such as the 3M E-A-R One Touch Dispenser or the Moldex Plugstation (500 pairs). To check how much protection each worker actually gets, use the 3M E-A-Rfit Dual-Ear Validation System or the uvex xact-fit test.

Kitting out a crew? Trade pricing and account terms are available — contact us or call 0457 545 175. Free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $200; collection from our Auburn NSW warehouse by arrangement (call first), 7:30am–3:30pm Mon–Fri.