Measurement and classification of hearing protectors in New Zealand and Australia

An overview of the method of the measurement of the attenuation of hearing protectors using the subject‐fit protocol according to the Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1270‐1999: ‘‘Acoustics—Hearing Protectors’’ is presented including a comparison with ANSI S12.6‐1997: ‘‘Methods of Measuring the Real‐Ear Attenuation of Hearing Protectors’’; Method ‘‘B’’: Subject Fit. In this Australian/New Zealand Joint Standard, hearing protectors are rated in terms of a ‘‘class’’ rather than given an attenuation value. The system of classifying hearing protectors is detailed including the actual method of the determination of the ‘‘class’’ of a hearing protector. The use of the Australia/New Zealand ‘‘class’’ system in the workplace is illustrated by way of an example. This describes the use of LAeq,T, the determination of LAeq,8h and how these parameters relate to the ‘‘class’’ of a hearing protector. The benefits and drawbacks of the system used are compared with other rating systems.