title: Spectral analysis of hearing protector impulsive insertion loss.
abstract: To characterise the performance of hearing protection devices (HPDs) in impulsive-noise conditions and to compare various protection metrics between impulsive and steady-state noise sources with different characteristics.
  
  
  
  HPDs were measured per the impulsive test methods of ANSI/ASA S12.42- 2010 . Protectors were measured with impulses generated by both an acoustic shock tube and an AR-15 rifle. The measured data were analysed for impulse peak insertion loss (IPIL) and impulsive spectral insertion loss (ISIL). These impulsive measurements were compared to insertion loss measured with steady-state noise and with real-ear attenuation at threshold (REAT).
  
  
  
  Tested HPDs included a foam earplug, a level-dependent earplug and an electronic sound-restoration earmuff.
  
  
  
  IPIL for a given protector varied between measurements with the two impulse noise sources, but ISIL agreed between the two sources. The level-dependent earplug demonstrated level-dependent effects both in IPIL and ISIL. Steady-state insertion loss and REAT measurements tended to provide a conservative estimate of the impulsively-measured attenuation.
  
  
  
  Measurements of IPIL depend strongly on the source used to measure them, especially for HPDs with less attenuation at low frequencies. ISIL provides an alternative measurement of impulse protection and appears to be a more complete description of an HPD's performance.
authors.affiliation: a 3M Personal Safety Division , Indianapolis Acoustical Laboratories , Indianapolis , IN , USA and.
authors.forename: Cameron J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fackler
authors.affiliation: a 3M Personal Safety Division , Indianapolis Acoustical Laboratories , Indianapolis , IN , USA and.
authors.forename: Elliott H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: b Hearing Loss Prevention Team , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , Cincinnati , OH , USA.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: a 3M Personal Safety Division , Indianapolis Acoustical Laboratories , Indianapolis , IN , USA and.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Stergar
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004430:Ear Protective Devices; D005389:Firearms; D006309:Hearing; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D009038:Motion; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011312:Pressure; D013018:Sound Spectrography
keywords: Hearing protection; impulse noise; insertion loss; spectral analysis