Could a Gas-Powered Floor Scrubber Damage Hearing or Worsen Tinnitus?

Hello everyone!

Question for you all: yesterday I was in a pet store picking up some crickets for a really cute leopard gecko I have. I had in some 32 dB foam earplugs, and there was a gas floor scrubber there cleaning the floor. I was in there perhaps for 5-10 minutes, and I think I measured the floor scrubber at 80 dB on my phone when it was somewhat close by to me.

Any chance this could be damaging at all, or that it could spike my tinnitus?

 

Any opinions?

 

Are you having a spike right now? Any clogged feeling, pain?

If no, I think you are in the clear. 80 dB close to the equipment is less if you are further away from it. Also you had 32 dB plugs in. If you use the (NRR-7):2 measuring, it still gives you 12,5 dB protection, so you were exposed to 67,5 dB. Normally, that's around a louder conversation. Should not be damaging at all.

 

80db for that timeframe is unlikely to do permanent damage without hearing protection, and basically impossible for it to create physical damage with 32db foam plugs, if plugs were correctly inserted.

I use 32db foam plugs only for stuff up to about 95db, then I use muffs plus plugs for stuff 95-115db, and try to avoid anything louder than that (which sadly excludes me from owning some really exciting chainsaws, but such is life).

I find that decently muffled small gas engines tend to be in the 80-120db range which is clearly a huge spread; if you're working with and buying a lot of small gas devices it's worth owning a $20 dB meter, you can bet I wanted to meter our $2000 lawnmower before dropping that kind of money on a walk behind. (To be fair, it's a walk behind that climbs 45 degree grade and can chop through underbrush 3' tall )

Wearing plugs in a pet store gets into territory that might seem excessive to me, but I don't know your situation. When I lived in the city I often used plugs in stores; now that I live in the country and the stores are quieter, I don't, unless I'm going to a machineshop or similar.

 

Thank you for the responses! I’m actually not using a ton of gas equipment right now- the most would be a lawnmower. And I definitely had earplugs inserted correctly, as I use them a lot and know how they work!