We all know about noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and the importance of hearing protection, but do you put them into practice personally?

I tend to find that I'm fairly cautious when it comes to noise these days, possibly over cautious. I've got into the habit of using ear plugs or defenders when I intend to do something noisy like DIY (do-it-yourself home maintenance). I always have them in an easily accessible location and I will put them straight on when using noisy power tools or where loud impact noise is involved. I also use them with loud garden power tools such as hedge trimmers and garden shredders.

Why not protect your hearing, whilst protecting your eyes and hands, etc, from injury.

I often find myself getting quite annoyed when I see situations where noise protection should have been used and isn't