EN 458:2004

Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance - Guidance document

This document gives recommendations for the selection, use, care and maintenance of hearing protectors.

Gehörschützer - Empfehlungen für Auswahl, Einsatz, Pflege und Instandhaltung - Leitfaden

Dieses Dokument gibt Empfehlungen für Auswahl, Einsatz, Pflege und Instandhaltung von Gehörschützern.

Protecteurs individuels contre le bruit - Recommandations relatives à la sélection, à l'utilisation, aux précautions d'emploi et à l'entretien - Document guide

Varovala sluha - Priporočila za izbiro, uporabo, nego in vzdrževanje - Navodilo

General Information

• Status: Withdrawn
• Publication Date: 23-Nov-2004
• Withdrawal Date: 01-Mar-2016
• ICS: 13.340.20 - Head protective equipment
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 159 - Hearing protectors
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 159/WG 5 - Guidance document for hearing protectors
• Current Stage: 9960 - Withdrawal effective - Withdrawal
• Completion Date: 02-Mar-2016
• Directive: 89/686/EEC - Council Directive 89/686/EEC of 21 December 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment
• Directive: 93/68/EEC - Council Directive amending Dir. 87/404/EEC (simple pressure vessels), 88/378/EEC (safety of toys), 89/106/EEC (construction products), 89/336/EEC (electromagnetic compatibility), 89/392/EEC (machinery), 89/686/EEC (personal protective equipment), 90/384/EEC (automatic weighing instruments), 90/385/EEC (active implantable medicinal devices), 90/396/EEC (appliances burning gaseous fuels), 91/263/EEC (telecommunications terminal equipment), 92/42/EEC and 73/23/EEC
• Directive: 93/95/EEC - Personal protective equipment (Dir. 89/686/EEC amendment)
• Directive: 96/58/EC - Personal protective equipment (Dir. 89/686/EEC amendment)
• Mandate: M/BC/CEN/88/6 - Order for standardization concerning Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.) - hearing protection
• Ref Project: SIST EN 458:2005 - Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance - Guidance document

Relations

• Replaces: EN 458:1993 - Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance - Guidance document
• Effective Date: 22-Dec-2008
• Replaced By: EN 458:2016 - Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance - Guidance document
• Effective Date: 08-Jun-2022

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-april-2005
1DGRPHãþD
SIST EN 458:1996
9DURYDODVOXKD3ULSRURþLOD]DL]ELURXSRUDERQHJRLQY]GUåHYDQMH1DYRGLOR
Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance -
Guidance document
Gehörschützer - Empfehlungen für Auswahl, Einsatz, Pflege und Instandhaltung -
Leitfaden
Protecteurs individuels contre le bruit - Recommandations relatives a la sélection, a
l'utilisation, aux précautions d'emploi et a l'entretien - Document guide
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 458:2004
ICS:
13.340.20 Varovalna oprema za glavo Head protective equipment
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 458
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
November 2004
ICS 13.340.20 Supersedes EN 458:1993
English version
Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care
and maintenance - Guidance document
Protecteurs individuels contre le bruit - Recommandations Gehörschützer - Empfehlungen für Auswahl, Einsatz,
relatives à la sélection, à l'utilisation, aux précautions Pflege und Instandhaltung - Leitfaden
d'emploi et à l'entretien - Document guide
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 24 June 2004.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official
versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2004 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 458:2004: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents
page
Foreword. 4
1 Scope. 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions. 8
4 Types of hearing protector. 9
4.1 General. 9
4.2 Passive hearing protectors. 9
4.2.1 Ear-muffs . 9
4.2.2 Helmet mounted ear-muffs. 9
4.2.3 Acoustic helmets . 9
4.2.4 Ear-plugs. 9
4.2.5 Preshaped ear-plugs. 9
4.2.6 Individual custom moulded ear-plugs . 9
4.2.7 User formable ear-plugs. 10
4.2.8 Banded ear-plugs. 10
4.3 Function modes . 10
4.3.1 General. 10
4.3.2 Passive. 10
4.3.3 Non passive . 10
4.3.4 Level-dependent hearing protectors. 10
4.3.5 Flat frequency response hearing protectors. 10
4.3.6 Active noise reduction (ANR) protectors .11
4.3.7 Hearing protectors with communication facilities . 11
5 Selection . 11
5.1 General. 11
5.2 Conformity with relevant requirements for incorporated electronics. 11
5.2.1 Intrinsic safety. 11
5.2.2 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) . 11
5.3 Selection of appropriate hearing protection for the noise environment. 11
5.3.1 Regulatory and general requirements . 11
5.3.2 Selection of passive hearing protectors according to their sound attenuation. 12
5.3.3 Selection of hearing protectors according to special needs or requirements. 12
5.3.4 'Real world' attenuation. 13
5.3.5 Effects of over-protection . 13
5.3.6 Combination of ear-muffs and ear-plugs.13
5.4 Wearer comfort. 13
5.5 Environment and activity . 13
5.5.1 High and low temperatures and/or humidity. 13
5.5.2 Unclean working conditions . 13
5.5.3 Repeated short term noise exposure. 14
5.5.4 Recognition of informative sounds within the work environment . 14
5.5.5 Warning signals and speech communication. 14
5.5.6 Location of a sound source . 14
5.6 Medical disorders. 14
5.7 Compatibility with other personal protective equipment . 14
6 Use. 14
6.1 General. 14
6.2 Period of use . 14
6.3 Hearing protectors designed for use in particular orientations. 15
6.4 Availability of protectors. 15
6.5 Compatibility of other personal protective equipment with ear-muffs and banded
ear-plugs . 15
6.5.1 General. 15
6.5.2 Protective clothing. 16
6.5.3 Spectacles . 16
6.5.4 Goggles. 16
6.5.5 Face shields. 16
6.5.6 Hoods . 16
6.5.7 Safety helmets. 16
6.5.8 Respiratory protection devices . 16
6.6 Correct fitting of hearing protectors . 16
6.6.1 General. 16
6.6.2 Ear-muffs . 16
6.6.3 Ear-plugs. 16
6.7 Audibility of speech and/or warning and alerting sounds whilst wearing hearing
protectors . 17
6.8 Leisure activities . 17
6.9 Guidance for use. 17
6.9.1 Information . 17
7 Care and maintenance. 17
7.1 General. 17
7.2 Hygiene and cleaning . 18
7.3 Inspection and replacement . 18
7.4 Storage. 18
7.5 Disposal . 18
Annex A (normative)  Methods for assessing the sound attenuation of a passive hearing
protector regarding equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level. 19
A.1 General. 19
A.2 Octave band method. 22
A.3 HML method . 23
A.4 HML check method . 24
A.5 SNR method. 25
Annex B (informative)  Method for assessing the sound atte
...