This belief is also held for earmuffs. The list of approved hearing protection devices in Appendix 18-A of the Navy Occupational Safety and Health Program Manual has not changed in many years. Rubber, triple-flange earplugs are usually issued by medical departments. Earmuffs are purchased inconsistently and depend on who is ordering. Boxes of foam earplugs are sometimes located in shops.
Most personnel assume that if they wear any kind of protection, their hearing won t suffer.
Medical and safety personnel need to recite the mantra that foamies are the gold standard for earplugs. Some earmuff brands are better than other brands also. Earmuffs are rated as the best available protection, followed by foamies. Not using double-hearing protection in high noise areas, particularly around aircraft, is a common error. Most military aircraft produce noise levels in excess of 110 decibels during idle.