page_title: Earmuffs
section_title: Varieties
hierarchical_section_title: Earmuffs / Varieties
context_page_description: Earmuffs are objects designed to cover a person's ears for hearing protection or for warmth. They consist of a thermoplastic or metal head-band, that fits over the top or back of the head, and a cushion or cup at each end, to cover the external ears.
context_section_description: Modern earmuffs come in two basic kinds:
  Thermal earmuffs, worn in cold environments to keep a person's ears warm with pads of cloth or fur.
  Acoustic earmuffs, also known as ear defenders: cups lined with sound-deadening material, like thermal earmuffs and headphones in appearance, which are worn as hearing protection. These may be carried on a head-band or clipped onto the sides of a hard hat, for use on construction sites. Some manufacturers combine headphones with ear defenders, allowing the wearer to listen to music, communication or other audio source and also enjoy protection or isolation from ambient noise.  For extra sound attenuation, earplugs can also be used in conjunction with earmuffs.
  Ear defenders protect the wearer from extreme noises. The head-band and outer covering is usually made from a hard thermoplastic or metal. The protection usually comes from acoustic foam – this absorbs sound waves by increasing air resistance, thus reducing the amplitude of the waves. The energy is transformed into heat.
  Earmuffs can be used in the workplace or recreationally for loud activities, e.g., concerts, shooting firearms, heavy machinery, mowing, etc. Hearing protection in the work place in the United States is regulated by organizations such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).  Hearing protection can be included in hearing conservation programs if noise exceeds a certain criteria. OSHA recommends the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) when an employer is exposed to an average noise intensity of 85 dBA over an 8-hour shift. HPD is required when exposed to average noise intensity of 90 dBA or greater over an 8-hour shift. MSHA requires are similar to OSHA. OSHA and MSHA require the use of hearing protection for workers who have not had a baseline hearing test or have had a shift in hearing thresholds, called a standard threshold shift.
caption: Ear defenders and visor on a safety helmet
exif: {"Image Make": "FUJIFILM", "Image Model": "FinePixS2Pro", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS Windows", "Image DateTime": "2005:06:23 14:50:32", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image Copyright": "", "Image ExifOffset": "236", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "934", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "3734", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/60", "EXIF FNumber": "8", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2005:06:23 14:23:49", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2005:06:23 14:23:49", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "2", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "6", "EXIF ApertureValue": "6", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "283/50", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Shade", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "105", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1230", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "861", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "808", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "630", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "630", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "3", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Manual", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "157", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF Contrast": "Hard", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Soft", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "0"}