BY KEVIN J.

LIPPERT
& AMANDA M. LIPPERT

The electrical
hazard you
don’t “hear”
about!

ishing
ram publ
sed by ing en
image lic

I E E E I ndu str y Appl ic ations Mag az in e • may |jun e 201 6 • www.ieee.org/ias

HEARING
PROTECTION
M
any people do not understand that their hearing
is a valuable yet delicate sense that they damage with regularity. They
also do not realize that noise-induced hearing loss cannot be fixed with a
hearing aid. Although the sense of sight is typically recognized as deli-
cate and given appropriate protection considerations, the sense of hearing is not treated
similarly. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),
it is estimated that more than 28 million people in the United States have hearing loss
or deafness [1]. With regard to the workplace, loud noise is estimated to cause hearing

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MIAS.2015.2459085

Date of publication: 11 February 2016
45

1077-2618/16©2016IEEE
 loss in over 10 million American ed into a nervous impulse that can be
workers every year, despite the fact
that this injury is completely prevent-
MANY PEOPLE processed by the brain [5], [6]. To
better understand this concept, this
able [2]. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau DO NOT article will describe the hearing pro-
of Labor Statistics reported that hear- cess in more detail.
ing loss represents 12% of occupation- UNDERSTAND The processing of hearing begins
al illnesses reported in 2010 [3]. with the pinna, or the outer, visible
Even with these alarming statistics, THAT THEIR portion of the ear, which is used as a
many people do not understand that funnel to capture and direct sound
their hearing is valuable and needs HEARING is a vibrations into the ear canal as well as
protection because of its delicacy. The
early warning signs of hearing loss
valuable yet assist with localizing sounds. Next, the
sound vibrations reach the external por-
(such as tinnitus or ringing in the ears) delicate sense tion of the ear canal, called the external
are often ignored because hearing loss auditory canal, which resonates and
is a slow and often painless process. that they amplifies sounds [5]. The external audi-
Hearing loss frequently is not consid- tory canal makes up the first two-thirds
ered an issue until it starts to interfere damage with of the ear canal and is a cartilaginous
with one’s work or social life [1], [4]. structure covered in hairy skin and pro-
It is not as simple as “turning up the regularity. tective cerumen, or earwax [6]. The
volume” because hearing loss can also canal is curved in a slight S-shape as
cause an inability to understand basic another protective measure to keep out
speech perception and even affect a person’s balance. Cer- foreign objects [5]–[7].
tain types of hearing loss cannot be corrected with a hear- At the end of the external auditory canal, the sound
ing aid. vibration meets the tympanic membrane, which is com-
This article explores the physiological aspects of the monly known as the eardrum. This marks the beginning
hearing process in relation to the effects of hearing loss on of the middle ear and is a very delicate structure, only
one’s personal life and the associated hearing hazards of arc 0.10-mm thick [5], [6]. Shaped somewhat like a loud-
flashes in the electrical industry. Examples showing why speaker cone, this membrane is covered by a thin layer of
hearing should be considered as part of an electrical safety skin facing the outer ear and a stiffening fibrous middle
program are cited, and potential methods for reducing the layer on the inner surface [5], [7]. The acoustic energy of
hazard are discussed. The article is a collection of informa- the sound vibrations reaches the tympanic membrane
tion from numerous referenced industry papers that and, because of the slight changes in air pressure brought
IEEE Indus try A pplicat ion s M agazin e • may |J u ne 2016 • www.ieee.or g/ia s

focused on hearing and others that focused on electrical about by the vibrations, causes the tympanic membrane
hazards. It combines extracted concepts to make the to vibrate similarly to a drum skin, translating the acous-
understanding of their interrelationships easy to apply to tic energy into mechanical energy [5]–[7]. This move-
our everyday lives. ment is conducted from the tympanic membrane to the
ossicles, which are the three smallest bones in the human
Physiological Aspects of Hearing body. These bones, the malleus, incus, and stapes, amplify
The human ear (Figure 1) is an intricate instrument that (by approximately 31 dB [6]) and translate movement of
acts as a microphone for bodies to perceive the sound the tympanic membrane to the cochlea in the inner ear.
around them. It requires the manipulation of a physical The middle ear space containing these bones also connects
vibration into an electrical signal, which is then translat- to the eustachian tube, which is the air-filled cavity
responsible for maintaining consistent air pressure that is
equal to the air pressure in the environment. This equal-
ization action is more commonly known as “popping your
Stapes
(Attached to
ears” [5], [7].
Oval Window) Semicircular Once the energy of the tympanic membrane move-
Canals ment has been transferred through the malleus and incus,
Incus the stapes bone advances the movements via a “footplate”
Malleus Vestibular
Nerve on the cochlea. This footplate is a flat bone that covers the
oval window (an opening into the vestibule of the
cochlea) and articulates the continued movement of the
Cochlear ossicles to the cochlea via the stapediovestibular joint [5],
Nerve [6]. The cochlea is a bony, fluid-filled structure shaped
External Cochlea like a snail shell. In transferring the movement of the sta-
Auditory Canal Tympanic pes to the vestibule of the cochlea, the mechanical energy
Cavity
Tympanic Eustachian Tube of the sound is transferred to hydraulic energy. It is only a
Membrane Round 0.2-mm fluid movement in the cochlea that causes a neu-
Window rochemical event that excites up to 30,000 hair cells.
1 These inner hair cells in turn transduce their vibration
46
The human ear (from [8], used with permission). into nerve impulses using approximately 19,000
nerve fibers that send this impulse to also occur suddenly [9], [10], such as
the brain. The most from a single loud arc-flash event! Hear-
As part of the inner ear, the ves- ing loss related to electrical injury is fur-
tibular system contained in the semi- common ther explored later in this article.
circular canals is responsible for
maintaining balance in the body. cause of What Does Hearing
Information about both hearing and Loss Mean?
balance is sent via afferent nerves to sensorineural Although the anatomical and physio-
different parts of the brain. Informa- logical properties of hearing loss can be
tion from the brain is sent via effer- hearing loss discussed in intricate detail, this infor-
ent nerves, creating an active
feedback loop. The brain’s interpreta-
is noise. mation is useless unless people under-
stand how it applies to them. Common
tion of the neural impulses produces environmental sounds, such as a crying
information about frequency (pitch), baby, a piano being played, a running
intensity (loudness), and temporal aspects (e.g., timing lawn mower, a music concert, and an airplane taking off,
and use of pauses) for the brain to analyze and for the are all visually represented in Figure 2 in relation to their
body to respond to appropriately [5]–[7]. average pitch (frequency) and loudness (intensity). They
are also depicted in degrees of hearing loss and minimum
Hearing Damage level for hearing protection. The American English speech
As stated previously, the ear has multiple defenses to sounds are shown in the yellow shaded area, which is
protect itself from foreign objects, including the curved sometimes referred to as “the speech banana.” It is a
shape of the ear canal and the use of cerumen (earwax) to “range” of perceptible speech frequencies and intensities
protect the ear canal and eardrum. However, damage to whose exact values vary from person to person.
the ear can still happen, resulting in temporary and/or The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
permanent hearing loss. One common type of hearing (OSHA) [12] has extensive information concerning sound
loss results from damage to the outer hair cells in the exposure levels, durations, and protection required, includ-
cochlea [5]–[7]. ing an 8-h limit of an average 85-dB level. For every increase
According to ASHA, there are three main types of hear- of 3 dB in noise level, the safe exposure time is decreased by
ing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed. Conductive approximately half. A Portuguese survey [4] was conducted
hearing loss involves the inability of sound energy to easily of workers from different industrial companies whose 8-h
flow through the ear, such as with fluid in the middle ear noise exposures exceeded this 85-dB limit. Although 45% of
from allergies or a cold, swimmer’s ear, and a punctured ear- the workers responded that they never use hearing protection

I E E E I ndu str y Appl ic ations Mag az in e • may |jun e 201 6 • www.ieee.org/ias

drum. This type of hearing loss can be easily corrected med- devices (such as earbuds and headphones), even though they
ically or surgically [9]. Sensorineural
hearing loss occurs when there is dam-
age to the sensory hair cells located in Pitch (or Frequency) Measured in Cycles per Second (Hz)
the cochlea in the inner ear or damage Low High
in the pathways to the brain [6], [9]. 125 250 500 1,000 2,000 4,000 5,000
This may have a number of causes, Normal (Adult)
including aging, toxic drugs, head 0 0
(Child)

trauma, and malformation of the

inner ear. However, the most common 10 10
cause of sensorineural hearing loss is
Loudness Measured in Decibels (dB)

20 20
noise (i.e., noise-induced hearing loss).
Because of the nature of this damage, 30 30
Mild

th
Degree of Hearing Loss

f
sensorineural hearing loss cannot be 40
v p k s
40
medically or surgically corrected, i j uz b u h
d
m n a o ch g
Moderate

meaning that it cannot be “fixed” by a 50

ng l r sh
50
hearing aid. Mixed hearing loss is a 60 60
combination of conductive and sensori-
neural [6], [7], [9]. 70 70
Severe

Additionally, hearing loss can be 80

80
described in relation to the rate at
which it occurs. Progressive hearing 90 90
loss refers to loss that becomes worse Minimum Level for Hearing Protection
Profound

100 100
over time, whereas sudden hearing loss
occurs quickly, sometimes after a sin- 110 110
gle incident [9]. The focus of this arti-
120 120
cle is sensorineural hearing loss, which
is often progressive in nature. Howev- 2
Common environmental sounds (from [11], used with permission).
47
er, it is important to note that it can
 are mandatory in these workplaces, 27% can lead to depression or increased
reported wearing hearing protection The National social withdrawal.
devices all the time. The study further Social withdrawal is also a prevalent
revealed that the workers’ perception of Library of result of hearing loss. With hearing
the potential risk was the most signifi- loss, it is common to miss portions of
cant factor in determining whether they Medicine jokes or stories, and the person laughs
would wear their hearing protection along with others simply to avoid
devices. However, it also revealed that provides appearing “out of the loop.” Addition-
workers are generally poor judges of the ally, family and friends may believe
risk factor. One of the objectives of this simple that individuals with hearing loss are
article is to change that perception.
Many people do not realize that
guidelines for having memory troubles, but they are
actually struggling because they sim-
hearing loss results in more than turn- maintaining ply are not hearing all of the informa-
ing up the volume for the 6 p.m. tion. Many individuals with hearing
news. It makes many aspects of every- better hearing loss report the need to “listen harder”
day life very challenging, including and ask for frequent repetition during
the basic perception of speech. Because health habits in conversations, which can be mentally
sensorineural hearing loss typically exhausting and embarrassing [13].
damages the cochlea, higher frequen- everyday life.
cies are more difficult to hear, especial- Applicability to
ly the common consonants s, f, sh, and Electrical Workers
h. Because consonants are the primary components for Requirements for mandatory hearing protection have
understanding speech, the inability to hear them can been in place for a very long time. As stated previously,
make conversations incredibly difficult [13]. OSHA [12] has extensive information concerning sound
Balance can become an issue with sensorineural hearing exposure levels, durations, and protection required.
loss because it involves damage to the inner ear. The inner Although the OSHA information is general in nature
ear structure of hearing, the cochlea, is closely connected and not specific to electrical situations, it is certainly
to the vestibular system, the area that controls balance applicable. Most closely associated with arc flash is the
[5]–[7]. A lack of balance can lead to uncoordinated requirement that exposure to impulsive or impact noise
movements and increased risk of falling or dropping should not exceed 140-dB peak sound levels. Electrical
items, drastically increasing the risk of injury both at safety requirements from [15] include hearing protec-
home and in the workplace [14]. tion. Although [15] contains many more specifics related
IEEE Indus try A pplicat ion s M agazin e • may |J u ne 2016 • www.ieee.or g/ia s

Sensorineural hearing loss often greatly affects one’s to the thermal aspect of arc-flash hazards, the personal
personal life. It impacts some simple events in everyday protective equipment tables of hazard/risk categories 0–4
life, such as hearing the telephone or doorbell ringing, have contained a requirement for hearing protection (ear
watching a movie or television show, and listening to canal inserts) for several editions. The 2012 edition has
music. However, this hearing loss can have an even added a separate statement to require hearing protection
greater impact on important life moments. Because whenever working within the arc-flash boundary.
children’s voices have higher frequencies, the ability to Although many papers have been published about arc-
hear and understand them is often greatly impaired flash hazards, their main focus has typically been the ther-
with sensorineural hearing loss. Therefore, parents and mal hazard. IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard
grandparents often have difficulty hearing and under- Calculations [16] is recognized worldwide as a calculation
standing their children and/or grandchildren, which model. Even so, this document specifically states, “This
guide is based upon testing and anal-
ysis of the burn hazard presented by
Distribution of Peak Sound Pressure in Decibels incident energy. Other potentially
Three-Phase Arc Tests hazardous effects…have not been
168.0 considered in these methods.” Until
166.0
Peak Sound Press_dB

164.0 more definitive hazards are

162.0 addressed, future revisions to this
160.0 guide should include consideration of
158.0
156.0 renaming it Performing Incident Energy
154.0 Calculations, as this more accurately
152.0 reflects its content. In contrast to
150.0
148.0
thermal hazards, the amount of pub-
146.0 lished information specific to the
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 hazardous sounds produced by arc-
Test Number flash incidents is very limited.
3 Although no arc-flash testing was
Measured sound levels (originally presented as Figure 14 of [17], used with conducted specifically for this article,
48 ­permission). we cite the work of others who have
previously taken sound measurements to develop innovative products and
and recorded their levels. services to meet these needs of indus-
Early work [17] of arc-flash advo- It is important try. Some of these same solutions can
cate pioneers Richard Doughty and Dr. be used to address the sound hazards
Thomas Neal documented sound-level to remember also associated with arc flash. As noted
measurements for three-phase, low-
voltage, open-air, and i­n-a-box testing
that safe previously, arc-flash sound levels typi-
cally increase with the associated arc
(Figure 3). The electrical circuit practices current. Methods that limit currents
parameters were 600 V, 36 kA (pro- and address the arc-flash thermal
spective), and duration of six electrical begin at home. aspect will also reduce the risk of
cycles (0.1 s). Using [16] and depend- higher sound-level hazards of the arc-
ing upon the specific ­configurations, flash event. Although short distance is
the corresponding incident energy for not itself an effective means to reduce
these circuit para­­meters ­calculates within the range of the sound hazard, remote operation from completely dif-
5–12 cal/cm2. Although the focus of their paper was test- ferent rooms/locations is. Hearing protection devices are
ing protective clothing, their work included a portion considered the last option to control exposures to noise.
addressing sound-level hazards. A few important conclu- External hearing protection can be used to mitigate the
sions resulting from this work include the following: sound-level hazard, but one must recognize that, because
1) Peak sound levels generally increased with average of thermal considerations, these may need to be arc-tested
arc current. or used in conjunction with a properly arc-rated external
2) All recorded sound levels greatly exceeded the covering (i.e., hood).
OSHA exposure limit (140-dB impact). Sounds at Hearing protection devices are widely available in
this level have no safe exposure time. Damage will several different styles. Ear muffs are constructed of
occur immediately. materials that attenuate the sound and use soft ear
The IEEE/National Fire Protection Association cushions that cover the outer exposed portion of the ear
(NFPA) Arc Flash Phenomena Collaborative Research and are typically held firmly in place by some type of
Project has been conducting extensive testing. In an headband. Semi-insert earplugs are constructed of two
update [18] published January 2011, a section addressing earplugs that are also held over the ends of the ear canal
sound-level hazards is also included. Figure 4 shows the by a rigid headband. Earplugs are another style and are
results from the project’s medium-voltage arc-flash test- inserted to block the ear canal. They are available as
ing. The electrical circuit parameters were 4,160 V, premolded (preformed) or moldable (foam earplugs)
20–63 kA (prospective), and durations of six and 12 elec- and as disposable or reusable plugs. Custom-molded

I E E E I ndu str y Appl ic ations Mag az in e • may |jun e 201 6 • www.ieee.org/ias

trical cycles (0.1 and 0.2 s). Using [16] and depending earplugs are also available. These are probably the sim-
upon the specific configurations, the corresponding inci- plest hearing protection available today and have
dent energy for these circuit parameters calculates within become the preferred method of sound protection
the range of 3–20 cal/cm2. Important conclusions result- against arc-flash hazards.
ing from this work include the following: When selecting hearing protectors, users should verify
1) Sound levels are affected by the magnitude of short that they have been tested to American National ­Standards
circuit current. Institute standards to establish their noise r­eduction rat-
2) There is little correlation between sound level and ing (NRR). The NRR is a unit of ­measurement used to
arc duration.
3) All recorded sound levels also exceeded the OSHA
exposure limit (140-dB impact).
Average Intensity of Sound
A review of these results clarifies that sound hazards are 160
indeed associated with arc-flash incidents. The ranges of
the test parameters included in both sets of results are cer- 155
tainly applicable to today’s real-world low- and medium-
voltage electrical installations. Awareness should increase 150
our desire to identify, educate, and address the sound haz- 145
ards associated with arc-flash incidents.
140
Potential Methods for Reducing the Hazard
Industry has made great progress in addressing the ther- 135
HCB-20
HCB-40
HCB-63
HOA-20
HOA-40
HOA-63
VCB-20
VCB-40
VCB-63
VCB-BA-20
VCB-BA-40
VCB-BA-63
VOA-20
VOA-40
VOA-63

mal hazards associated with arc-flash hazards. Most peo-

ple are now aware of the hazard and are using widely
available tools to quantify it. Numerous methods for
reducing thermal hazards are becoming mainstream.
“Safety by Design” incorporates features that will lessen Mic 1 12 Cycle Mic 1 6 Cycle
Mic 2 12 Cycle Mic 2 6 Cycle
the arc-flash energy (current/time limitations), redirect
and/or contain the energy, and remove the worker from 4
Measured sound levels (reprinted with permission from [17]).
49
the immediate thermal exposure area. Vendors continue
 d­ etermine the effectiveness of hearing
protection devices to decrease sound The sense of
exposures. A higher NRR number
assigned to a hearing protector indicates hearing is just
greater sound reduction. Consult the
manufacturers to determine how to as important
apply the NRR number because the
National Institute for Occupational as the sense
Safety and Health notes that there are
various methods for calculating real- of sight.
world sound attenuation.
The National Library of Medicine
provides simple guidelines for maintaining better hear- [2] M. C. McReynolds, “Noise-induced hearing loss,” Air Med. J., vol. 24,
ing health habits in everyday life. It is important to
become aware of the noises around you, including the [3] Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2011, Oct. 20).
length of exposure to noise/music and the level of noise.
For example, when listening to music, experts caution
never to turn up the volume on music devices to block [4] P. M. Arezes and A. S. Miguel, “Individual perception of noise expo-
out noise from the environment. The volume is most
likely causing damage. Also, headphones are recom-
mended over earbuds for listening to music because ear- [5] in
buds do not block out noise from the environment.
Another simple fix is to limit the volume on music
devices to lower than level 5 to prevent excessive vol- [6] J. A. Seikel, D. G. Drumright, and D. W. King, “Anatomy of hear-
ume use [19].
Conclusions
This article has described in detail how the human
sense of hearing is a complex set of intricate, delicate
functioning items that are seldom considered during
the events of a normal working day. This sense is often
taken for granted, exposing people to dangerous sound
IEEE Indus try A pplicat ion s M agazin e • may |J u ne 2016 • www.ieee.or g/ia s
levels. Although many exposures are not immediately
debilitating, long-term damage can greatly reduce
hearing capabilities and impact vital social interaction.
The results of arc-flash testing confirm that readily
available electrical systems potentially expose individu-
als to sound levels greatly exceeding OSHA require-
ments for immediate impact exposure. Multiple
methods are available to protect from the excessive
sound hazards from electrical arc-flash incidents. As
with the thermal aspect, the sound hazard should also
always be identified, with methods taken to eliminate
it when possible. Alternatively, ­m easures should be
taken to minimize the risk (likelihood and severity) of
excessive sound hazards. As a last resort, proper hearing
protection should be utilized.
It is important to remember that safe practices begin at
home. Routinely integrating safety practices into home
life causes them to become second nature in the work-
place. As related to hearing protection, basic common-
sense rules should be used: 1) recognize the damaging
sound levels that may be present (e.g., at nightclubs and
concerts, lawn mower/weed trimmer/chain saw, helicopter
or airplane takeoff); 2) lower the sound levels of music
players, ­televisions, and other audio devices; and 3) make
it a habit to routinely use hearing protection for potential-
ly damaging situations.
The sense of hearing is just as important as the sense of
sight. Individuals should give attention to protecting their
50
hearing in the same manner as is done for sight. Failure to
do so creates a hearing impairment that
impacts not only the individuals but
their families, too. How sad it would be
if, because of sheer negligence in pro-
tecting against something fully prevent-
able, anyone were to miss a soft voice
from a spouse, child, or grandchild say-
ing “I love you.”
References
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[11] Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of
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listeningandspokenlanguage.org/SpeechBanana
[12] Occupational Noise Exposure, OSHA Standard 1910.95, 2004.
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[14] K. H. Kilburn, B. Hanscom, and R. H. Warshaw, “Are hearing loss
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[16] IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations, IEEE Stan-
dard 1584, 2002.
[17] R. L. Doughty, T. N. Neal, T. A. Dear, and A. H. Bingham, “Test-
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000495.htm
Kevin J. Lippert (KevinJLippert@Eaton.com) is with Eaton Cor-
poration, Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Amanda M. Lippert is
with Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania.
Kevin J. Lippert is a Senior Member of the IEEE. This article
first appeared as “Hearing Protection—The Electrical Hazard
You Don’t ‘Hear’ About!” at the 2015 IEEE IAS Electrical
­Safety Workshop.