3M E-A-Rfit Dual-Ear Validation System

3M Hearing Protection Solutions has added the E-A-Rfit Dual-Ear Validation System to help combat noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which routinely shows high numbers of recordable illness cases in private industry manufacturing.

The product measures the effectiveness of earplugs and earmuffs from inside the employee’s ear, providing accurate, quantitative results for both ears simultaneously. The system tests both ears for all seven standard frequencies in seconds, generating a Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR) to customise hearing protector selection and identify employees at risk for noise-induced hearing loss.

The fit-testing system measures sound pressure levels objectively and once the measurement is complete, the software displays the PAR along with a pass/fail indicator based on the worker’s noise exposure level. The product comes with a speaker, software, stand, dual-element microphones, cables and a trial quantity of probed test plugs.