Hearing protection against impulse noise from shooting, hunting and fireworks

Impulse noise is a very short and extremely loud sound, such as a gunshot or the bang of fireworks. Separate limits in dB(C) apply to peaks like these. From 135 dB(C), an employer must already provide hearing protection. So always wear hearing protection around shooting, hunting and fireworks, even if you are only there for a short time.

With continuous noise, hearing damage builds up slowly. With impulse noise, it is different. In a news item by the Dutch safety organisation VeiligheidNL, an ENT doctor (ear, nose and throat specialist) from UMC Utrecht says that a single loud bang can already damage parts of your ear. In this article you will read how loud gunshots and fireworks are, which rules apply and whether custom earplugs, earmuffs or both suit you best.

For custom earplugs with a DIM filter, you have your ear impressions taken at a partner hearing centre. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre.

What is impulse noise?

Impulse noise lasts only a fraction of a second, but the pressure is extremely high. A normal average measurement in dB(A) hardly shows a peak like that. That is why impulse noise is measured separately as peak sound pressure. The Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) defines this as the maximum value of the C-weighted instantaneous sound pressure. On a sound level meter, this value is called LCpeak or LCpk, expressed in dB(C).

The Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) gives working with a powder-actuated nail gun in construction and straightening metal as examples of work with short, very high noise levels. Outside work, shooting, hunting and fireworks are the best-known sources.

Would you like to know more about the difference between dB, dB(A) and dB(C) first? Then read how loud is too loud? Decibels and hearing damage explained

How loud are gunshots and fireworks?

An article in De Jager, the magazine of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Jagersvereniging (Royal Dutch Hunters' Association), gives these peak values.

For comparison, the exposure limit value for peak noise at work is 140 dB(C). According to the same article, shooting without hearing protection can cause permanent hearing damage after just one unprotected shot.

Fireworks also cause problems every year. Research by VeiligheidNL after New Year's Eve 2022 to 2023 showed that 6% of Dutch adults who set off fireworks or watched outside experienced some form of hearing damage afterwards, such as a beep in the ear, deafness, a dull feeling or distorted sound. Among 20 to 29-year-olds, it was 10%. Yet only 15% of the adults setting off fireworks wore hearing protection, and 4% of the adult spectators. About 1 in 5 children wore hearing protection.

Which rules apply to peak noise?

At work, the limits are set out in the Working Conditions Decree. In addition to the well-known values for daily exposure, separate values apply to peak sound pressure. In its work instruction, the Labour Authority gives them both in pascals (as in the law) and in dB(C).

Are you an employer in defence, the police, a shooting club or heavy industry? Then also take a look at Audibling Business for hearing protection for your team.

Custom earplugs, earmuffs or both?

There are three main types of hearing protection, namely earmuffs, universal earplugs and custom earplugs. Arboportaal, the Dutch government's website on working conditions, lists the differences.

As a rule of thumb, the guideline on occupational hearing loss by the NVAB, the Netherlands Society of Occupational Medicine, says that earmuffs or earplugs are better for short exposure to noise, and custom earplugs for continuous exposure. For people who shoot or hunt regularly, custom earplugs are therefore a logical basis. If you want more attenuation, for example with heavy calibres, you can combine custom earplugs with earmuffs. Ask a hearing care professional for advice on this. For sport shooters, there is more about indoor ranges, outdoor ranges and clay pigeon shooting on the page hearing protection for sport shooting. A general comparison of earmuffs and earplugs, also for work and with glasses or a helmet, is in earplugs or earmuffs.

The DIM filter gives level-dependent protection

When hunting and shooting, you do not only want to be protected. You also want to hear what is happening around you, such as a colleague, a command or game nearby. That is what the DIM filter from Dynamic Ear Company is made for. The manufacturer describes it as a level-dependent filter for protection against impulse noise, while you stay aware of your surroundings.

DIM is not a filter for 'as much attenuation as possible'. The SNR of the DIM variants is between 15 and 19 dB. The idea is that you keep hearing well at normal sound levels, while the filter does its job during loud peaks. The DI filters have a higher SNR (22 to 26 dB), but their attenuation is constant and they are meant for continuous industrial noise. All values are on our filter page and in filters in custom earplugs explained.

Audibling uses the DIM filter in the earplugs for hunting and shooting and the earplugs for fireworks. Because the filters are interchangeable, you can always choose a different filter later.

Tips for shooting and hunting

• Put your hearing protection in before the first shot, not after. A single unprotected shot already counts.
• Also protect your ears if you are not shooting yourself but are standing next to the shooter or are at the range.
• Check that your custom earplugs seal well. A custom earplug that sits loosely protects less. Read common mistakes when using custom earplugs.
• With heavy calibres, consider combining them with earmuffs.

Fireworks after the national ban

Since 1 August 2026, a national ban on consumer fireworks has applied in the Netherlands. New Year's Eve 2026 to 2027 is the first one under the ban. Consumers may now only set off small fireworks, such as sparklers and bang snaps (knalerwten). Rockets, cakes, compound boxes and bangers may only be set off by professionals. Clubs and foundations can get an exemption from the municipality (gemeente) to set off fireworks around New Year's Eve. This is stated in the fireworks rules of the Dutch government (Rijksoverheid, in Dutch).

So loud bangs will still be around. You hear them at a fireworks display, at a club with an exemption, when fireworks still go off in your neighbourhood and on New Year's Eve abroad. Professionals who set off a display are closest to them. Whether carbide shooting (carbidschieten) is allowed is decided by the municipality. Read more about it in hearing protection for carbide shooting.

Tips for fireworks

• Wear hearing protection, also as a spectator. According to VeiligheidNL, only 4% of adult spectators wore anything in their ears.
• Think of children. Custom earplugs also fit small ears. See earplugs for children.
• Have your ear impressions taken in good time. Your custom earplugs are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken. You can find a partner hearing centre through book an appointment.

New to custom earplugs? Read what is an otoplastiek? or browse the custom earplugs collection.

Frequently asked questions

Which hearing protection is best for shooting?

That depends on the calibre, the surroundings and how often you shoot. Custom earplugs with a level-dependent DIM filter are a comfortable basis. If you want more attenuation, for example with heavy calibres, you can combine them with earmuffs.

Are custom earplugs enough for fireworks?

For spectators at a fireworks display and for professionals who set off fireworks, well-fitting custom earplugs protect against the bangs. Always keep your distance as well. The closer you are to the bang, the higher the peak.

What does dB(C) mean?

dB(C) is a measurement with a C filter, which filters out fewer low tones than dB(A). The Dutch occupational health and safety rules use dB(C) for the peak sound pressure of bangs and impacts.

Can I combine custom earplugs with earmuffs?

Yes. According to Arboportaal, the combined attenuation is always less than the two attenuations added together, with a maximum of about 35 dB(A).

Sources

• Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Netherlands Labour Authority), Werkinstructie Blootstelling aan geluid (work instruction on noise exposure, 2025, PDF in Dutch)
• Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (Dutch Working Conditions Decree), chapter 6, section 3 on noise (wetten.overheid.nl, in Dutch)
• Arboportaal, Gehoorbescherming (hearing protection, in Dutch)
• VeiligheidNL, Half miljoen volwassen Nederlanders ervaart gehoorschade na jaarwisseling (half a million Dutch adults experience hearing damage after New Year's Eve, 18 December 2023, in Dutch)
• De Jager (Koninklijke Nederlandse Jagersvereniging), Gehoorbescherming voor jagers (hearing protection for hunters, 2020, PDF in Dutch)
• NVAB, Multidisciplinaire richtlijn Preventie beroepsslechthorendheid (guideline on preventing occupational hearing loss, PDF in Dutch)
• Dynamic Ear Company, acoustic filters for custom moulds (DIM, level-dependent protection against impulse noise)
• Rijksoverheid, Regels vuurwerk afsteken (fireworks rules, in Dutch)
• Rijksoverheid, Landelijk vuurwerkverbod voor consumenten dit jaar van kracht (national ban on consumer fireworks in force this year, 1 July 2026, in Dutch)

Last updated 7 October 2026