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Grooming salons can be noisy places. The sound of dogs barking, combined with the constant ringing of the telephone, noise from dryers, blasters and clippers, and the radio, can contribute to layers of noise you may not even notice until everything is switched off.
Did you know that as a groomer, you could be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss? And unfortunately the biggest offenders can often be dryers and blasters, essential pieces of grooming kit.
This blog highlights occupational hazards in the grooming salon that can contribute to noise-induced hearing loss. We also suggest ear protection solutions to protect your hearing.
Read on for our top tips for keeping your ears happy and healthy within the salon.
Table of contents:
What is noise-induced hearing loss?
Contributing factors to noise-induced hearing loss
Preventative ear protection for dog groomers in the grooming salon
Ear protection for dogs in the grooming salon
What is noise-induced hearing loss?
The National Institute On Deafness and Other Communication Disorders describes noise-induced hearing loss as exposure to sounds that are too loud, even for a brief time, or that are both loud and long-lasting, stating “these sounds can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)”.
Although we are exposed to sounds daily in our natural environments, these sounds are normally at safe levels that don't contribute to hearing loss. It's only when these sounds are magnified that they become a problem for our health.
NIHL can come on immediately or develop over time, affecting one or both of your ears. Hearing loss can also be temporary or permanent. One of the most worrying factors of NIHL is that even if you aren't aware that your hearing has been damaged, you could develop more noticeable problems in the future.
Signs of NIHL to look out for are struggling to understand people when they talk, particularly on the phone or in a noisy room. However, regardless of how it may affect you in the future, the good news is it can be prevented.
Contributing factors to noise-induced hearing loss
Although NIHL can be caused by a one-time event, such as an explosion, most of us experience it gradually over time, and it's all to do with decibel levels.
For some context, a normal conversation is roughly 60-70dB, whereas listening to loud music at a maximum volume or visiting a concert could be anything from 94-110 dB. The National Institute On Deafness suggests that “sounds at or below 70dB are unlikely to cause hearing loss, even after long exposure. However, long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time it takes for NIHL to happen.”
Can a hair dryer damage hearing?
Dryers and blasters can be loud, and although you have some control over their speed and settings, one thing that can't be controlled is their volume.
A study on “Noise Impacts From Professional Dog Grooming Forced-Air Dryers” from the National Library of Medicine tested the decibel levels of four commonly used dryers and blasters. The readings were taken a metre away from each dryer to simulate the likely distance between it and the groomer or the dog it is being used on.
Of the four dryers tested, the study found that the average sound level for three of the four dryers was between 105 and 108 decibels, with the other dryer being recorded at 94.8 decibels, well over 70dB, deemed safe for hearing.
With prolonged exposure to this sound level daily, alongside other sounds within the salon, it's clear that high-velocity dryers could significantly impact long-term noise-induced hearing loss. For these dryers to be deemed safe for a groomer's hearing, their exposure must be limited to less than five minutes per eight-hour workday, which is not ideal when you have a calendar packed with grooming appointments!
Preventative ear protection for dog groomers in the grooming salon
So, what does that mean for our dryers and blasters? The good news is that NIHL can be prevented if the correct measures are implemented.
If you are a mobile groomer, you are more than likely able to limit your dryer use. However, this becomes more difficult if you work in a busy grooming salon as part of a team when multiple pieces of equipment are used simultaneously. In these situations, exposure to decibel levels is even higher for longer periods.
How to protect your hearing in a busy grooming salon
To protect your hearing within the salon, the best thing you can do is to lower the sounds you're exposed to to a safer level. We've already established that you can't control the volume of dryers and blasters. However, you can put some preventative measures in place to protect your hearing. Here's what we'd suggest:
Ear defenders or ear muffs
As loudness increases, the amount of time you can hear a sound before damage occurs decreases. Reducing your exposure to loud noises can reduce your risk of hearing damage. One of the best ways to do that in the salon is to protect your ears with ear defenders each time a dryer or blaster is used.
Ear defenders absorb sound waves, reducing the amount of decibels that reach your ears, preventing them from damage.
Ear plugs
A cheap and convenient solution, they fit directly into the ear canal to help reduce sound exposure and protect your inner ear's delicate structures. However, ear plugs should only be applied with clean and dry hands to prevent infection, so they aren't always the best option when handling multiple dogs and products.
If you prefer them to ear defenders or muffs, always wash your hands before handling them and putting them into your ears.
Invest in a quieter dryer or blaster
If your salon is due for an equipment upgrade, it could be time to invest in a quieter, lower-decibel dryer or blaster to reduce your daily exposure to harmful noise further. Look for a dryer or blaster with a decibel rating of at least 80 dB, or at best, under 75 dB, to ensure there is little risk of damage to your ears; the quieter the dryer, the better it is for your hearing.
If you're upgrading your dryer, we recommend choosing an option from XPower. XPower dryers and blasters have been designed with peaceful yet powerful performance in mind. Available in a selection of motor size options and speeds, these durable and reliable dryer and blaster options have a quiet sound output of around 73 decibels, offering around a 40% reduction in noise compared to most competitor dryers.
XPower B-4 Professional Groom Force Dryer
The ideal choice for protecting your ears in the salon, they're also great for use on nervous dogs, who might find the sounds of the salon overwhelming, because it's important to protect the ears of the dogs you're grooming too!
Ear protection for dogs in the grooming salon
It's important to not only protect your ears but also consider the needs of the dogs you're grooming.
Many dogs can be fearful, particularly when it comes to blaster and dryer noise, the overwhelming noise of nail grinders, and the noise from grooming clippers.
A dog's ears can be sensitive, and if you're not able to invest in a quieter dryer or blaster, it's still important to consider the needs of the dogs you're grooming.
An Ear Snood is a relatively inexpensive way to do this. These snoods fit comfortably over a dog's ears, creating a swaddling effect, helping to calm nervous dogs and reduce their exposure to harmful noise pollution.
Discover safe, sound solutions for your salon at Groomers
Explore our dryers and blasters range to find solutions to fit the bill in your salon. From the super quiet XPower collection to our Groomers range, which offers options with an output of less than 82 dB, it's never been easier to find options to keep your ears safe and sound. Or, for more products to keep dogs feeling less stressed in the salon, why not browse our stress management range?
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