Decision Support
Not sure where to start?
Start with the problem.
Hearing protection decisions are operational decisions. The right starting point is not a product catalogue. It is an honest assessment of what is happening on your site, what your workers need, and where your current program has gaps.
Work through the questions below. They are designed to surface the issues that matter, not to sell you a product.
The Framework
Every site is different. The variables that determine the right hearing protection solution are operational: the noise environment, the communication demands, the shift length, the PPE in use, the wearing behaviour, and the compliance obligations.
This tool works through those variables systematically. Answer each question based on your current site conditions. The pattern of your answers will indicate where the risk and compliance exposure sits, and what kind of solution is likely to address it.
At the end, the result patterns show what your answers indicate and which guidance covers each problem area. The tool is built to be useful on its own; further guidance is available if you want it.
Noise and Communication Environment
Is your workforce operating in a high-noise environment?
By "high noise" we mean environments where noise levels regularly reach or exceed 85 dB(A) over an eight-hour shift, or where peak noise levels create exposure risk even in shorter durations.
Do workers need to communicate while wearing hearing protection?
This includes verbal communication with team members, radio or intercom use, receiving safety instructions, or operating in environments where communication failures create safety risk.
Is two-way radio or intercom communication part of normal operations?
This covers push-to-talk radio systems, fixed intercom, team communication devices, or any situation where workers transmit as well as receive.
Wearing Behaviour and PPE Compatibility
Do workers operate across shifts of four hours or longer?
Comfort and wearing compliance degrade over time. Long shift duration is one of the most consistent drivers of hearing protection removal and inconsistent wearing behaviour.
Have you observed workers removing their hearing protection during the shift?
This includes removing protection to communicate, due to discomfort, due to PPE conflict, or for any other operational reason.
Does your current hearing protection conflict with other PPE?
This includes earmuffs that do not seal correctly under hard hats or helmets, protection that conflicts with eye protection or respiratory equipment, or any situation where workers choose between PPE items.
Program Verification and Situational Awareness
Has your hearing protection program been independently verified through fit testing?
Fit testing measures the actual attenuation being achieved for each individual worker. Without it, protection levels are assumed rather than verified.
Do workers require situational awareness while wearing hearing protection?
This includes environments where workers need to hear ambient sound, movement, machinery signals, or verbal warnings while maintaining protection against peak or sustained noise.
Current Program State
Are you experiencing inconsistent wearing behaviour with disposable hearing protection?
This includes workers not inserting correctly, not replacing regularly, sharing protection, or using degraded disposables beyond their effective life.
Are you under audit or compliance pressure related to your hearing conservation program?
This includes upcoming WorkSafe or Safe Work Australia inspections, internal health and safety audits, workers compensation claims related to hearing loss, or a requirement to review and document your current program.
Results Framing
What your answers indicate
The pattern of your responses points toward one or more of the following. Most sites will recognise more than one. Each pattern links to the guidance covering that problem area, so you can go straight to what applies.
Scored results are coming to this tool.
When complete, your answers will be scored the moment you finish: an overall score out of 100, plus a breakdown per section (for example, 2 of 3 on wearing behaviour and PPE compatibility), with each weak section linking to the guidance that covers it. Until then, the patterns below show how to read your answers.
Communication-critical environment
Communication demands narrow which types of protection can work at all. In-ear communication integration is one of the solution types to evaluate; the guidance covers the options and their trade-offs.
Communication in NoiseWearing compliance and PPE compatibility
Removal and inconsistent wear usually trace back to fit, comfort, or PPE conflict. The guidance covers how to identify which of these applies on your site.
Fit TestingFit testing gap
Fit testing is the immediate next step regardless of other program elements. Assumed attenuation is not verified attenuation.
Fit TestingCompliance and documentation priority
A documented program review before the audit date is the priority. The guidance covers what a defensible hearing conservation program includes.
Hearing ConservationNo result routes to a product page. Each one routes to guidance about the problem itself; whether Pacific Ears is part of the answer depends on what your assessment surfaces.
What Happens Next
What happens next?
Most teams can take it from here. The result patterns above point to the guidance covering each problem area, and the guides and authority pages provide the depth to act on it.
If you would like a second opinion on what your answers mean for your site, Pacific Ears can talk them through with you. No preparation needed, and no obligation attached.
Share your workplace context
for a practical recommendation.
Tell us about your noise environment, team structure, and communication needs so Pacific Ears can advise on a suitable pathway for assessment, fitting, and implementation.
Reviewed by the B2B team
Your details are reviewed before we respond, so the next step is relevant to your workplace.
AS/NZS 1270 context
Guidance can include tested hearing protection options and documentation relevant to Australian and New Zealand workplaces.
Site and rollout planning
Where appropriate, Pacific Ears can discuss fitting logistics, site coordination, and staged implementation.
"Pacific Ears helped us move from individual product decisions to a clearer workplace fitting and support process."
— Workplace Safety Team
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