⏱️ Estimated reading time: 12 min
Key Takeaways
Yes, where your daily noise exposure reaches 85 dB(A) or a 137 dB(C) peak, or inside a marked hearing protection zone. Regulation 8(2) of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 requires you to make full and proper use of the protection provided.
Where protection is required, refusal can be a disciplinary matter under your employer’s policy. Explain the reason instead, whether it is comfort, fit or a medical concern, and ask for a suitable alternative.
Not under the Noise Regulations. Your employer must provide protection if you ask, and HSE advises against making it compulsory there, though site rules may still apply.
Ask for a different type or size and for help with the fit. Raise soreness that continues, or any ear condition, with occupational health or your GP.
No. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 bars employers from charging for protection the law requires.
You can ask. HSE advises employers to offer a range, but your employer must confirm any protector suits the noise level in the risk assessment.
Can my employer make me wear ear plugs? Yes, once your daily noise exposure reaches 85 dB(A) or a 137 dB(C) peak, or whenever you work inside a marked hearing protection zone. From that point your employer must make sure protection is worn, and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require you to make full and proper use of it. Below 85 dB(A) you can ask for protection, but the Noise Regulations do not oblige you to wear it.
On UK trade forums the usual complaint is not the rule itself but foam plugs that leave ears sore after several hours. That is a reason to ask for a different protector rather than go without, because HSE estimates that around 15,000 workers in Great Britain have hearing problems caused or made worse by work (Labour Force Survey, 2022/23 to 2024/25).
At Bollsen, we are a family-owned hearing protection company founded in 2016 and trusted by 1,000,000+ people, and we make reusable earplugs for work. Our main guide to earplugs for work matches protection to the job and the noise level. Below, we stay with the worker’s side of the law.
Can my employer make me wear earplugs at work?
Your employer can require you to wear earplugs or other hearing protection where your daily exposure reaches the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A) or a 137 dB(C) peak, because Regulation 8(2) of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 obliges employees to make full and proper use of the protectors provided at that level.
Regulation 8(2)(a) covers the protectors supplied under Regulation 7(2), and Regulation 8(2)(b) adds a duty to report any defect as soon as practicable. The full text of Regulation 8 is short and worth reading. Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 backs it with a general duty to take reasonable care and co-operate with your employer’s safety measures.
Above 85 dB(A) use is mandatory, and inside a signed hearing protection zone the rule covers everyone who walks in. Each exposure value is set out in our explainer on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, written from the worker’s side.
| Noise level | Legal name | Your employer must | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 dB(A) daily or 135 dB(C) peak | Lower exposure action value | Assess the risk and provide protection if you ask | You can ask; wearing it is your choice |
| 85 dB(A) daily or 137 dB(C) peak | Upper exposure action value | Provide protection, ensure it is used, mark zones | You must wear it (Regulation 8(2)) |
| 87 dB(A) daily or 140 dB(C) peak | Exposure limit value | Keep exposure at your ear below it, with protection worn | Protection must keep you under it |
What changes between 80 and 85 dB(A)?
Between the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A) and the upper value of 85 dB(A), your employer must make hearing protection available if you ask for it, but the Noise Regulations do not require you to wear it, and HSE tells employers not to make protection compulsory where the law does not require it.
HSE’s hearing protection guidance also asks employers to target protection at the noisy tasks rather than issue blanket rules for a whole site. Your employer can still set site rules of its own, so raise one that looks unnecessary rather than ignore it.
It works the other way too. On workplace advice forums, people describe wanting earplugs in a moderately noisy job and being told they are not needed, yet at 80 dB(A) or above, asking for protection is your right.
What happens if I refuse to wear hearing protection?
Refusing to wear hearing protection where your employer requires it above 85 dB(A) can be a disciplinary matter, because HSE expects employers to run spot checks on use and to follow their normal disciplinary procedures when the rules on protection are not followed.
The outcome depends on your employer’s policy, and a safety representative, union rep or Acas can help with employment questions. Refusing also undoes the protection itself. HSE notes that taking protection out for even a few minutes considerably lowers what you get across a shift, which is why it advises wearing it at all times in a noisy area.
The usual reasons for refusing are sore ears, difficulty talking and the fear of missing an alarm. A loud warning stays audible through passive earplugs because it is loud, not because a filter passes it through. In its September 2025 inspection findings, HSE found 95% of employers had not checked that warning signals could still be heard, and our guide on whether you can hear alarms with earplugs in at work shows how that check should run on a noisy site.
What are you entitled to from your employer?
Your employer’s hearing protection duties under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 entitle you to free protection, a choice of suitable protectors, training on fitting them, replacements, noise reduced at source first and health surveillance where the risk assessment shows your hearing is at risk.
- Free supply. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 bars your employer from charging you for protection the law requires.
- A choice. HSE advises offering a range that works with your hard hat, glasses or mask.
- Fit training. Regulation 10 covers information, instruction and training, which should include how to fit earplugs and check the seal. If nobody has shown you, our guide on how to put earplugs in and check the fit covers each step and a seal test.
- Replacements. Regulation 8(1) requires protectors to be kept in good condition.
- Noise reduced first. Regulation 6 requires noise to be cut at source before protection takes the remaining load.
- Hearing checks. Regulation 9 requires health surveillance where the assessment shows a risk, and you are expected to attend.
Those entitlements are not always delivered. In the same HSE inspections, 80% of employees had received no instruction on how to wear their protection. The full set of employer hearing protection duties is laid out regulation by regulation in our guide to employer hearing protection duties, useful to show a supervisor when something is missing.
What should you ask for instead of refusing?
If earplugs are the problem, ask for a different protector, a different size or help with the fit before you refuse, because HSE expects employers to offer a range, and a protector you keep in all shift protects you more than a stronger one you keep taking out.
Some people get on better with ear defenders, others with reusable silicone plugs, and the trade-off between earplugs and ear defenders comes down to heat, hard hats and how often you step in and out of the noise. Our comparison of earplugs vs ear defenders at work sets the two side by side for a specific request.
If your ears feel sore by the end of a shift, say so and ask about breaks in a quiet area or a reusable plug. Whether wearing earplugs all day at work suits you depends on fit, clean hands, clean plugs and those breaks.
Anyone with an ear condition, past ear surgery or soreness that keeps coming back should raise it with occupational health or a GP rather than decide alone. Their advice gives your employer a documented reason to offer an alternative.
Over-protection is a fair complaint too. HSE advises against bringing the level at your ear below 70 dB, and our guide on how much hearing protection you need matches SNR to noise level.
Why do earplugs feel uncomfortable at work, and what helps?
Disposable foam earplugs seal by expanding against the ear canal, so after several hours the constant pressure can feel sore, and reinserting a squashed plug with dirty hands adds irritation, whereas a well-fitted reusable silicone earplug seals with soft flanges and can be washed between shifts.
Our WorkPRO earplugs are passive, reusable earplugs made from hypoallergenic silicone with a 2-lamella patented design, rated SNR 24 dB (H 24, M 21, L 19) and tested to EN 352-2. They are reusable up to 100 times and low-profile enough to wear under ear defenders. Attenuation rises with frequency, so higher tones are reduced most, and they are neither electronic nor noise cancelling.
Where your employer’s noise assessment puts daily exposure at around 90 to 95 dB(A), HSE’s selection guide suggests an SNR of 20 to 30, and our WorkPRO earplugs (SNR 24 dB, £29.95) sit inside that band. Your employer should confirm the choice against the assessment.
Soreness that continues after you change plugs, or any change in your hearing, is a conversation for occupational health or your GP.
Is it different in the US?
In the US, OSHA requires employers to provide hearing protectors free at an 85 dBA 8-hour time-weighted average, with use required above the 90 dBA permissible exposure limit or for workers with a measured hearing shift, and our summary of OSHA hearing protection standards covers the rest.
So should you just wear the earplugs you are given?
Above 85 dB(A), or anywhere inside a marked zone, wearing hearing protection is part of the job, and refusal can be a disciplinary matter. Between 80 and 85 dB(A) it is yours to ask for. When something is wrong with the protection, name the problem and ask for the alternative the law entitles you to.
If you want to suggest a reusable option to your employer, WorkPRO is rated SNR 24 dB under EN 352-2. Hearing lost to noise does not come back, so the protection that counts is the pair you keep in all shift.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.