oSIST prEN 458:2025

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

Le présent document fournit des recommandations relatives à la sélection, à l'utilisation, aux précautions d'emploi et à l'entretien des protecteurs individuels contre le bruit.

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

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 30-Jan-2025
• ICS: 13.340.20 - Head protective equipment
• Technical Committee: OVP - Personal protecting equipment
• Current Stage: 4020 - Public enquire (PE) (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 09-Dec-2024
• Due Date: 28-Apr-2025
• Directive: 2016/425 - Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC
• Ref Project: prEN 458 - Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance - Guidance document

Relations

• Revises: SIST EN 458:2016 - Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance - Guidance document
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2021

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2025
Varovala sluha - Priporočila za izbiro, uporabo, nego in vzdrževanje - Navodilo
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 à la sélection, à
l'utilisation, aux précautions d'emploi et à l'entretien - Document guide
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 458
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.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
November 2024
ICS 13.340.20 Will supersede EN 458:2016
English Version
Hearing protectors - Recommendations for selection, use,
care and maintenance - Guidance document
Protecteurs individuels contre le bruit - Gehörschützer - Empfehlungen für Auswahl, Einsatz,
Recommandations relatives à la sélection, à Pflege und Instandhaltung - Leitfaden
l'utilisation, aux précautions d'emploi et à l'entretien -
Document guide
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 159.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, 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.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN 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 CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2024 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 458:2024 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
5.1 Design forms . 9
5.2 Function mode . 10
6.1 Principles . 11
6.2 Selection according to sound attenuation . 12
6.3 Selection according to work environment . 16
6.4 Communication . 20
6.5 Compatibility with other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) . 20
6.6 Selection according to hearing protector type and situation of use. 20
6.7 Medical factors . 21
6.8 Ergonomics and fitting . 22
7.1 General. 22
7.2 Availability of hearing protectors . 22
7.3 Correct fitting . 22
7.4 Simultaneous use of hearing protector with other PPE . 24
7.5 Speech intelligibility and signal audibility . 25
7.6 Instruction and training . 25
7.7 Period of use . 26
7.8 Leisure activities . 27
8.1 General. 27
8.2 Hygiene and cleaning . 27
8.3 Inspection and replacement . 27
8.4 Storage . 27
8.5 Disposal . 27
Annex A (normative) Methods for estimating the level effective to the ear when selecting a
hearing protector based on the national regulation level L' . 29
NR
A.1 General. 29
A.2 Octave band method . 32
A.3 HML method . 33
A.4 HML check method . 34
A.5 SNR method . 36
Annex B (informative) Method for estimating the level effective to the ear when selecting a
hearing protector based on the national peak regulation level L' . 38
NR, peak
B.1 General. 38
B.2 Method . 38
Annex C (informative) Selection method for sound-restoration level-dependent hearing
protectors intended for all types of noise environment using HML-criterion values . 40
C.1 General. 40
C.2 Method 1: HML Method . 40
C.3 Method 2A: HML check method – Measurement check . 41
C.4 Method 2B: HML check method – Listening method . 41
Annex D (informative) Calculation method for hearing protectors with audio input . 43
D.1 General. 43
D.2 Method . 43
Annex E (informative) Improving field performance and special instructions for use . 45
E.1 Improving field performance . 45
E.2 Instructions for use . 46
Annex F (informative) Further guidance on individual fit testing methods . 49
F.1 General information . 49
F.2 Available individual fit testing methods . 49
Annex G (informative) Noise types . 51
Annex H (informative) Sustainability . 54
H.1 General . 54
H.2 Manufacturer evaluation (sourcing) . 54
H.3 Product attributes (sourcing and safety) . 55
H.4 Instruction and training (supervision) . 55
H.5 Cleaning, maintenance and disposal (correct use) . 56
H.6 Transportation, distribution and storage (safety and sourcing) . 56
Annex I (informative) Significant technical changes between this document and the
previous edition EN 458:2016 . 57
Bibliography . 59

European foreword
This document (prEN 458:2024) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 159 “Hearing
protectors”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 458:2016.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are listed in Annex I.
Introduction
This document is intended to guide employers, supervisors and safety advisors. Additionally, this
document gives information to all who need to use hearing protectors.
Hearing protectors are intended to protect against the risk of harmful noise and are elevated into the
highest risk Category III under the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (EU) 2016/425, which
can cause irreversible health effects or can be potentially life threatening. They are intended to reduce
the harmful effects that sound and noise can have on the hearing of an individual worker. Requirements
for hearing protection products are given in the EN 352 series.
Guidance is provided on how to best select, use and maintain such devices. Calculation procedures to
estimate the residual noise exposure level, when a certain hearing protector is used, are also provided.
National bodies can develop their own local application documents based on this document.
Hearing protectors are generally available in two main forms: earmuffs and earplugs. Both forms are
available with additional features and functions. All have their advantages and disadvantages in terms
of attenuation, comfort, ease of use, communication facilities and cost.
In hearing conservation programmes noise hazard areas are identified and the personal noise exposure
is assessed. Before a suitable hearing protector is considered, priority should be given to reducing noise
at source and/or reducing the exposure time.
If the use of a hearing protector is found necessary or advisable, choosing optimum devices is a complex
task. The most important aspects for hearing protector performance include sufficient attenuation and
usage during the entire exposure period.
It is often desirable to retain the ability to hear speech and wa
...