Hearing protection for healthcare and education
Think of a gym full of children, a workshop classroom with machines or a restless ward. In healthcare and education, you want to reduce noise without missing the class or the client. Custom earplugs with the right filter make that possible, and they are quick to put in and take out.
Where it gets too loud in healthcare and education
Not every class or ward is noisy. But there are places where measurements regularly come out above 80 dB(A), and places where it is mainly a nuisance.
Typical noise sources
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PE lesson in a sports hallIn measurements, most PE teachers had a daily dose above 80 dB(A)> 80 dB(A)
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Workshop classroom with machinesThe Labour Authority names vocational education as a place with daily doses above 80 dB(A)> 80 dB(A)
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Swimming pool and swimming lessonsAlso named by the Labour Authority> 80 dB(A)
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Group room in childcareShouting or screaming children and loud toysNuisance
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Care wardAlarms, calls and restlessness. A measurement shows whether it is harmfulMeasure
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Normal conversationFor comparison45 to 60 dB(A)
What you need to keep hearing
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A child or client calling outYou want to notice when someone needs help, even with earplugs in.
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Call and alarm systemsNurse calls, pagers and the evacuation alarm.
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The class during instructionQuestions from pupils and what happens at the back of the room.
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Your own voiceIf you talk all day, you do not want your own voice to sound hollow or muffled.
Which hearing protection suits which place in healthcare and education?
In these sectors, the question is less about how much attenuation. It is more about how to reduce noise without losing contact with the people you work for.
PE teachers are often above the action value
In research by Fontys with the professional association KVLO, most of the PE teachers measured had a daily dose above 80 dB(A). The noise of the children and the teacher's own voice contribute to that. The acoustics of the hall play a part too. The conclusion is that acoustic measures and calm in the lesson are the core, but that hearing protection is needed for now.
In childcare and healthcare, it is mainly about nuisance
In childcare, the issue is more often disturbing noise than harmful noise. Kinderopvang Werkt! points to shouting and screaming children and loud toys. Disturbing noise leads to mistakes, stress, loss of concentration and poorer speech intelligibility, even below 80 dB(A). A simple rule of thumb is that you are probably below 80 dB(A) if you can talk normally at a distance of 1 metre. You can read how to tackle the noise in the group and which filter suits it under hearing protection in childcare.
For healthcare, we found no section on noise in the occupational health and safety catalogues for nursing and home care, disability care and hospitals. Employers from healthcare and education did contribute to the report "Moe van geluid" (Tired of noise, 2025). According to that report, about half of all workers are annoyed by noise at work. If in doubt, have it measured.
You see the same in dental care. In research by KU Leuven, Flemish dentists did not have noise-induced hearing loss more often than pharmacists, but they did experience significantly more nuisance from their equipment. You can read how to deal with that in the treatment room under hearing protection for the dental practice.
The right filter for each workplace
- In the gym, the music lesson or a busy playroom a DM filter is suitable. It gives flat attenuation, so voices and music keep sounding natural.
- In childcare, on a care ward or in a quiet area a light DR filter is suitable, for less harsh sound without losing contact.
- In a workshop classroom with machines a DI filter is suitable, as in industry.
If you talk a lot, you know the hollow feeling of a blocked ear. Your own voice sounds too loud and muffled. The breathable design of our custom earplugs reduces that occlusion effect. That makes wearing them all day more comfortable.
You can read where that hollow feeling comes from in the occlusion effect.
What a school or care organisation needs to arrange
A school, childcare centre or care organisation has the same duties as any employer. Map the noise in the RI&E. Above 80 dB(A) you provide suitable hearing protection and give information. From 85 dB(A) wearing it is mandatory and you mark the areas. 87 dB(A) is the limit value in the ear. For the gym, in practice this means that you offer hearing protection while also working on the acoustics.
Hygienic and personal
A custom earplug belongs to one person. Hard acrylic is sturdy and easy to clean, silicone is softer for anyone who wears them all day. In a school colour or with the organisation's logo, they are recognisable as work equipment, and a pair forgotten in the staff room is quickly back with its owner.
You can read how to make sure colleagues actually wear their hearing protection in how to make sure employees actually wear their hearing protection.
Sources
- KVLO / Fontys, Akoestiek en arbo in de gymzaal (poster) (in Dutch)
- Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie, Werkinstructie blootstelling aan geluid (2025) (in Dutch)
- Kinderopvang Werkt!, Richtlijnen verlichting, binnenklimaat en geluid (in Dutch)
- Kinderopvang Werkt!, Checklist geluidshinder (in Dutch)
- Arboportaal, Moe van geluid (2025) (in Dutch)
- Arboportaal, wat zegt de wet over geluid (in Dutch)
- Fontys en KVLO, Grip op Geluid, eindrapportage (2025) (in Dutch)
- KVLO, Standpunt otoplastieken (in Dutch)
- OAK en SFKV, Arbocatalogus Kunsteducatie (2011) (in Dutch)
Hearing protection checklist for the workplace
Six sections with checklist items on three A4 pages, from noise measurement and RI&E to information and the hearing test. Each item shows the article from the Working Conditions Decree or the Working Conditions Act, and the last page has an action list. The checklist is in Dutch.
Ear impressions at school or on the ward
We plan it around timetables and shifts.
Who needs it?
Start with the jobs from the RI&E, such as PE teachers, technology teachers, group leaders or a ward with a lot of restlessness.
Filter per job
DM for the gym, DR for childcare and care, DI for the workshop classroom. In one order.
On-site fitting
From 10 employees, we come to you, on a training day or between shifts. Anyone who is not there then, and smaller groups, visit a hearing centre in our network.
At school or on siteReady about three weeks after the impressions
Everyone gets their own custom earplugs with a case. If someone loses them, we arrange a replacement quickly.
Questions from healthcare and education
Can I still hear the class or the client with custom earplugs in?
Yes, if the attenuation suits the place. A DM or DR filter reduces noise in a way that keeps voices intelligible. Do not choose stronger than necessary, precisely because you need to respond to calls and signals.
Which hearing protection suits a PE teacher?
Custom earplugs with a DM filter. They give flat attenuation, so the voices of pupils and your own voice sound natural. Because nothing sits on or over your ears, they do not get in the way when you demonstrate exercises either.
How loud is it in the gym?
In the Grip op Geluid study by Fontys and the KVLO (2025), the average noise level at the teacher during the lessons measured was around 90 dB(A). That applied in halls with good and with poor acoustics. According to the study, the employer must offer hearing protection in all the halls measured.
Are custom earplugs enough in a noisy gym?
Not as the only measure. The KVLO calls custom earplugs an emergency solution as long as the acoustics of the hall have not been dealt with. If you use them, choose a filter with flat attenuation, such as the DM filter, and soft silicone. According to the KVLO, silicone seals better than hard material.
Which hearing protection suits the technology or workshop classroom?
That is where the noise of machines comes from. According to the Arbocatalogus Kunsteducatie (2011), a belt sander reaches about 91 dB(A), a spindle moulder about 94 dB(A) and a circular saw bench about 110 dB(A). The Labour Authority names vocational education as a workplace where the daily dose can go above 80 dB(A). For the teacher, custom earplugs with a DI filter are suitable.
Which earplugs suit a music teacher?
Custom earplugs with a DM filter. They give flat attenuation, so the sound of instruments and voices stays true. According to the Arbocatalogus Kunsteducatie, a trumpet reaches about 95 dB(A) and a drum kit about 102 dB(A). Read more in hearing protection for musicians.
Can we have ear impressions taken for just a few employees?
Yes. You can start with the jobs where the noise is highest, such as the PE teachers or the technology classroom, and expand later. We take ear impressions at school or on the ward from 10 employees. Smaller groups have their ear impressions taken at a partner hearing centre.
How do I keep custom earplugs clean in a care setting?
Clean them after use and keep them in the case. In our Guides you can read how to look after custom earplugs. Hard acrylic is the easiest to keep clean. In the gym, however, the KVLO recommends soft silicone, because it seals better.