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Key Takeaways
Regular unprotected exposure to loud noise can gradually damage the hair cells in the inner ear. HSE estimates that 15,000 workers in Great Britain have hearing problems caused or made worse by work (Labour Force Survey, 2022/23–2024/25), and noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus are both recognised risks.
It can be. Muffled hearing that recovers by morning is a temporary threshold shift, but RNID explains that with continued exposure the hair cells may lose their ability to recover.
Up to about 8 hours a day. Every 3 dB rise halves that time, so the same dose arrives in 1 hour at 94 dB(A) and 15 minutes at 100 dB(A).
Yes. HSE lists permanent tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears) among the effects of excessive noise at work, alongside gradual hearing loss. Hearing protection limits the noise dose that reaches the ear.
The NHS advises seeing a GP if hearing is getting gradually worse, or if ringing happens regularly, is getting worse or affects sleep or concentration. Sudden hearing loss needs an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111, and occupational health can arrange a hearing check at work.
Protection rated for the noise level, fitted properly and worn for the whole time in the noise. HSE’s guidance pairs 85–90 dB(A) with an SNR of up to 20 dB and 90–95 dB(A) with 20–30 dB.
What happens if you don’t wear hearing protection at work? Usually nothing you can feel on day one. Anyone who wants to protect their hearing at work should know that noise damage builds up quietly, shift by shift, and HSE estimates that 15,000 workers in Great Britain have hearing problems caused or made worse by their job.
One factory worker on a workplace-safety forum described working at 90–110 dB, skipping the earplugs for a single shift, then noticing ringing a couple of days later. Whether one unprotected shift really counts has a clear answer in the dose maths below.
At Bollsen, we are a hearing protection brand trusted by 1,000,000+ people, and we make reusable silicone earplugs for work, sleep, music and travel. Anyone comparing earplugs for work should start with the noise level. Our hub on earplugs for work covers ratings, fit and UK rules for every noisy trade.
What happens if you don’t wear hearing protection at work?
Working in loud noise without protection exposes the hair cells of the cochlea to more sound energy than they can handle, and over months and years that can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus, both usually permanent once established. The change is gradual and painless.
The scale is measurable. HSE’s noise-induced hearing loss statistics put the figure at 15,000 workers a year with hearing problems caused or made worse by work, a three-year average for 2022/23–2024/25 with a 95% confidence interval of 8,000–21,000. Only 50 new cases of occupational deafness were assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in 2024, because that scheme requires a measured loss of more than 50 dB in both ears.
Most work-related hearing problems sit well below that benefit threshold. RNID describes noise as the second biggest cause of hearing loss and notes that its effects may not be noticed until years after the exposure.
How does the daily noise dose add up?
Noise damage depends on the daily noise dose, the combination of level and time, and under the equal-energy 3 dB rule every 3 dB rise doubles the sound energy, so the time to the same dose halves: 85 dB(A) for 8 hours delivers the same dose as 100 dB(A) for 15 minutes. RNID puts the safe exposure time for 85 dB at up to eight hours a day. Each row below equals one full working day at 85 dB(A).
| Noise level | Time to reach the same daily dose | Compared with 85 dB(A) |
|---|---|---|
| 85 dB(A) | 8 hours | Baseline |
| 88 dB(A) | 4 hours | 2× the sound energy |
| 91 dB(A) | 2 hours | 4× the sound energy |
| 94 dB(A) | 1 hour | 8× the sound energy |
| 97 dB(A) | 30 minutes | 16× the sound energy |
| 100 dB(A) | 15 minutes | 32× the sound energy |
Ten minutes without plugs beside a 100 dB(A) machine uses about two-thirds of a full day’s dose, and every later minute in the noise adds to it. Knowing how loud power tools are is the first step, and our guide to how loud are power tools (decibel chart) lists typical levels for drills, grinders and saws with the time each takes to reach the daily dose.
The everyday question of how loud is too loud has the same answer at home and at work. Time counts as much as decibels.
Is hearing damage from noise temporary or permanent?
Loud noise first causes a temporary threshold shift (TTS), a short-term dulling of hearing that recovers, but repeated exposure can turn it into a permanent threshold shift (PTS), where damaged hair cells no longer recover and the hearing they supported is lost for good. The first is a warning, and the second lasts.
RNID explains that overstimulated hair cells “become fatigued and stop responding to sound”, producing dulled hearing that “can last from a few minutes to a few days”. With continued exposure, it adds, the hair cells “may lose their ability to recover and die”. HSE describes the everyday version as muffled hearing at the end of the day, even if it is better by the next morning.
| Temporary threshold shift (TTS) | Permanent threshold shift (PTS) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it feels like | Dull or muffled hearing, sometimes ringing, after loud noise | Hearing that stays reduced, often first for high-pitched sounds |
| How long it lasts | A few minutes to a few days (RNID) | Permanent |
| What it signals | The ears were exposed to noise loud enough to cause damage | Hair cells have stopped recovering |
Noise damage usually starts in the higher frequencies, so sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘s’ tend to blur first. Understanding how hearing loss develops over years explains why a recovery by morning is not an all-clear. Our definitions guide on how hearing loss develops sets out the types of hearing loss, from noise and age to blockages.
Can noise at work cause tinnitus?
Yes. HSE lists permanent tinnitus, described as ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears, among the effects of excessive noise at work, and RNID notes that some people experience tinnitus as the first sign of noise-induced hearing loss, before any change in hearing is noticed.
HSE’s page on the Noise Regulations states their purpose directly: “The aim of the Noise Regulations is to ensure that workers’ hearing is protected from excessive noise at their place of work, which could cause them to lose their hearing and/or to suffer from tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears).” That aim sits behind the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Our plain-English guide to the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 explains each employer duty.
In short, the lower exposure action value is 80 dB(A), the upper exposure action value is 85 dB(A) and the exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) is counted with hearing protection worn. Regulation 9 requires health surveillance, which “shall include testing of their hearing”, for workers at risk. Workplace hearing tests are how early changes get picked up.
Many people want to protect their hearing from further noise exposure outside work too, so questions about earplugs for tinnitus often come up alongside work plugs. Our hub on earplugs for tinnitus covers protection choices for anyone who wants to limit the noise dose away from the job, whether or not they have ever noticed ringing.
What should workers do if hearing feels muffled or ringing after a shift?
Muffled hearing or ringing after a shift is a sign the ears have been exposed to noise loud enough to cause damage, and the sensible response is to tell a supervisor or occupational health, and to see a GP if it keeps happening, gets worse or does not settle. HSE’s worker advice adds two simple warning signs of a noisy workplace. One is having to raise your voice to talk to someone about 2 metres away, and the other is using noisy powered tools for more than 30 minutes a day. Two related questions, ringing in your ears after loud noise and when to see a GP about ringing in your ears, are covered in our tinnitus section.
When to speak to a GP or occupational health
- hearing that seems to be getting gradually worse, or muffled hearing that no longer clears by the next morning (see the NHS guidance on hearing loss)
- ringing that happens regularly or constantly, is getting worse, or affects sleep or concentration (see the NHS guidance on tinnitus)
- sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, which needs an urgent GP appointment or a call to NHS 111
- ringing that beats in time with the pulse, which the NHS says needs an urgent GP appointment
- any concern about noise exposure at work (see HSE’s advice for workers worried about their hearing)
Occupational health can arrange a hearing check and review the protection in use, and a GP can refer on to audiology where needed. Both are worth contacting early.
How do you protect your hearing at work every day?
To protect your hearing at work, wear hearing protection rated for the noise level, fit it correctly and keep it in for the whole time you are in the noise. Protection limits the noise dose that reaches the ear and protects your hearing from further noise exposure from whatever point you start.
A poor fit is the most common reason a protector underperforms, so a quick fit check before each shift matters more than the number on the pack. Our guide on how to put earplugs in and check the fit shows the insertion steps and a simple seal test.
Taking plugs out “just for a minute” next to a loud machine undoes much of the protection, as the dose table shows. Comfort, wax and itching are the usual worries about wearing earplugs all day at work. Our guide to wearing earplugs all day at work answers each one for an 8–12-hour shift.
Choosing the best earplugs for work starts with the measured noise level, not the price. HSE’s guidance pairs 85–90 dB(A) with an SNR of up to 20 dB, 90–95 dB(A) with 20–30 dB, 95–100 dB(A) with 25–35 dB and 100–105 dB(A) with 30 dB or more. Our comparison of the best earplugs for work matches plugs and defenders to those bands.
Our own routine choice for 90–95 dB(A) workplaces is WorkPRO, a passive, reusable silicone earplug rated SNR 24 dB. WorkPRO earplugs (SNR 24 dB, £29.95) are tested to EN 352-2 and rated H 24 / M 21 / L 19, so attenuation rises with frequency. They are not noise cancelling or electronic, and a loud warning stays audible because it is loud, not because a filter passes it through. The yellow, low-profile shape fits under ear defenders, and each pair is reusable up to 100 times.
Is it too late to protect your hearing after years of noise at work?
No. Hearing protection cannot restore hearing that has already gone, but it limits the noise dose from the next shift onwards, and that holds after one year in a noisy job or after thirty.
Noise damage at work is cumulative and usually silent. Muffled hearing or ringing after a shift is worth reporting, and a GP or occupational health team is the right first stop.
The routine itself is short. Match the rating to the noise, check the fit and keep the plugs in for every minute in the noise, shift after 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.