BTE
Before placing the BTE earmold into your ear, first make sure the battery is inserted properly and the battery door is securely closed. Also make sure the M-T-O switch is set to “O” (off).

Gently rotate the instrument until its comfortably set inside the bowl of your ear. Pull your ear lobe down slightly and press on the instrument to ensure it is firmly in place.

To remove, grasp the instrument with your thumb and forefinger, and gently rotate it as you pull outward. Never use the battery compartment door to pull the instrument out of your ear—it is not designed to withstand this pressure and may become damaged.

ITC
Before placing the ITC into your ear, first make sure the battery is inserted properly and the battery door is securely closed. If the instruments have a volume control, make sure they are in the “off” position.

To insert, hold the instrument between your thumb and forefinger with the volume control toward the top of your ear. The battery compartment should be facing away from your ear canal. Then gently insert the instrument into your ear canal.

There are two methods of removing the ITC from your ear. One way is by using your finger to gently massage the area behind your ear lobe. The soft pressure should work the instrument out of your ear. The other method is to reach into the ear with thumb and forefinger, and gently pull the instrument out.

Never use the battery compartment door to pull the instrument out of your ear—it is not designed to withstand this pressure and may become damaged.

CIC
Before placing the CIC into your ear, first make sure the battery is inserted properly and the battery door is securely closed.

To insert, hold the instrument with the insertion/removal line between your thumb and forefinger, and the microphone opening at the top of the instrument. Simply guide the instrument down into your ear canal until you feel resistance.

Let go of the insertion line, and push the instrument in until it is resting comfortably inside your canal. To ease insertion, you may wish to pull down on your ear lobe with your other hand as you push.

To remove, slowly and gently pull the insertion/removal line outward.

Never use the battery compartment door to pull the instrument out of your ear—it is not designed to withstand this pressure and may become damaged.

If your instruments have a volume control, use it to turn them on and off and adjust the level of amplification.

To turn your instruments on, rotate the control forward or clockwise until a comfortable sound level is reached. You may want to adjust the volume as you move between different listening situations. To increase volume, continue rotating the control forward. To make sounds softer, rotate the control backward or counter-clockwise. To turn your instruments off, rotate the control backward as far as it will go.

If your instruments do not have a volume control, they are “on” any time functioning batteries are properly placed in the compartments, and the battery doors are closed. To turn your instruments “off,” simply open the battery compartment doors so the batteries are no longer in contact with the internal components.

When any hearing instrument is “on,” you may occasionally hear a whistling noise known as feedback. It’s more likely to occur while you’re inserting or removing your instrument. Feedback is caused by amplified sounds leaving the ear that are reflected by your hand back into the instrument’s microphone. It should stop when you move your hand away. If you have trouble with persistent feedback, see your hearing professional.

WISE EARS AT WORK!

Here are the facts:

Noise-induced hearing loss is the most common workplace disorder and the second most self-repeated occupational illness or injury.

Thirty million workers are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss and 10 million Americans already have it.

Forty-five percent of carpenters and 48% of plumbers report having a hearing loss.

By age 25, the average carpenter has the same hearing as a 50-year-old person who does not work around hazardous noise.


DON'T LET THIS BE YOU!
Noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable, but once you have hearing loss, you'll have it for life. Exposure to harmful sounds causes damage to the sensitive structures of the inner ear. These structures can be injured instantly from an intense brief impulse, such as the explosion of a firecracker, or gradually from continuous exposure to noise, such as in a woodworking shop.


HOW LOUD IS TOO LOUD?
Are you in an area where you have to raise your voice to talk with someone who is an arm's length away? Are your ears ringing or do sounds seem dull or flat after leaving a noisy place? If so, then you are probably exposed to hazardous noise. The degree of a hearing loss is related to both the level of the noise and the duration of the exposure. Sound is measured in decibels (dB). Prolonged (long or repeated) exposure to noise about 85 dB can cause hearing loss. A normal conversation takes places at about 65 dB. A hard drill measures 98 dB, a spray painter 105dB, a hammer drill 114 dB, and a pneumatic percussion drill 119 dB. If the average level of noise in your workplace over 8 hours is 85 dB or higher, you are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Start protecting your ears now!


How can you protect your ears?
The safest way to protect your ears is to always wear hearing protection anytime you are around loud noises. You can protect your ears by wearing special earplugs or special earmuffs. There are hundreds of kinds available. There are formable earplugs you can mold to your ears and premolded earplugs that come in several sizes. There are canal caps that are attached to headbands and are very convenient if you work in intermittent noise where you need to take your earplugs on and off throughout the day. Some earplugs have stems so you can insert them without touching the part that goes inside your ear. You can also get earplugs custom molded to fit your ear. Earmuffs come with large and small earcups, and different types of ear cushions. There is something for everyone and for every environment. Which type are you getting?


How can you hear verbal instructions or machine warnings?
Hearing protection will lower the noise level of your equipment, they won't eliminate the sound. There are protectors that lower the sound enough to be safe but allow you to hear speech at a comfortable level. This is especially important for those who work in noise where communication is important. The hearing protectors will bring both noise and warning sounds down equally. So, if the warning sound is audible without the hearing protector, it will usually be audible when wearing the protectors. Some protectors will reduce certain frequencies more than others, so wearing them can make noises sound different. If it is important for you to hear noises just as they are, there are earmuffs and earplugs that reduce all sounds about the same. There are many hearing protectors with built-in communication systems. There are even special high-fidelity earplugs and noise-activated hearing protectors that professional musicians (rock and classical) and mechanics wear. These earplugs and protectors don't change sound quality except for making it softer. They are useful when it's important to hear speech.