You can also get custom-made ear plugs which are moulded to the shape of your ear. They're more expensive but tend to be a better fit, particularly if you struggle with standard ear plugs because of issues such as having narrow ear canals. For the purposes of these Regulations an appliance ordinarily intended for domestic use is taken to mean one that is intended for private use at home.

Wax ear plugs are harder to find, but are typically around 40 to 55p a pair. The cheapest option we found from a big high street chain supermarket or pharmacy was: IEC C18 Plug Right Angled shrouded 2 pin IEC plug, 250Vac / 10amp Non Rewireable Male Connector ( Clarke cable part number C37 ) Ear plugs or defenders reduce the decibel level reaching your ears, so you can be exposed to noise for longer. But they can't provide total protection - especially during prolonged exposure. Prices vary most in this category. They can be soft and mouldable or a more traditional ear bud. They tend to be reusable and lighter (although there are harder ones too).IEC C13 3 Pole 10A Kirby Type with clampable collar point Non Rewireable Straight Connector ( Clarke cable part number C16 ) I recall putting on the kitchen light one evening and nothing happened. "Blown bulb" I thought. So I put on the light in an adjacent room to provide enough illumination to fit a new bulb; at this point I notice broken glass all over the kitchen floor. For some reason the bulb/ceiling pendant had overheated to the point where the bulb holder melted and dropped the bulb. Boy was I glad the buld holder was plastic and not metal...... They can also push wax into the ear canal, and this can build up, leading to - or exacerbating - problems such as tinnitus, itchiness or reduced hearing. This can give a tighter seal, but they can be a bit greasy and attract dirt and fluff. Most are designed to be single-use. Foam ear plugs IEC C13 3 Pole 10A Non Rewireable Angled Female Connector with attached earth wire hospital bed plug with waterproof o-ring LINAK ( Clarke part number C50 )

IEC C14 male to 2 x iec c13 or design your own configuration cable Y Connector ( Clarke cable part number C39 ) The amount of noise reduction they give - known as the attenuation value - is measured in decibels, or as a simplified noise-reduction level (SNR) figure. IEC C19 2 Pole with earth 16A Non Rewireable Straight Female Connector ( Clarke cable part number C28 ) Damage to your hearing can start to occur around an average 85dB across the day or week - that's the noise level of heavy traffic or a vacuum cleaner.

The ears are a dark warm place, which makes them a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Clean reusable ear plugs regularly and only put clean ear plugs into your ears to avoid bacteria build-up and infections. And don't be tempted to reuse disposable ones many times! For standard ear plugs noise reduction levels range from 16 to 38 decibels, though most we saw averaged around 25-27 decibels.