The Hells of Decibels
Just how many decibels is a HV dryer?
There is not a grooming smock in the world with enough pockets in which to pack all the risks associated with the profession and art of dog grooming. If there was, there would be yet another risk of getting them caught on doorknobs, table corners and flailing paws. So, like the humble individuals that dog groomers are, we’ve succumbed ourselves to the safety and efficiency of a single or double pocketed smock.
But we didn’t bring you to this article to chat about the practicalities of groomer fashion, because there is an invisible risk that deserves to be as physically startling as the jolt of a caught pocket.
Decibels!
Such a sweet-sounding name for something with such damaging potential. Yes, decibels can be wonderful things! Without them we wouldn’t be able to verbally converse with our loved ones, we wouldn’t know the calming sounds of the ocean and we certainly wouldn’t have a Taylor Swift world tour (this last one may be a win, depending on what side of the Swift fence you sit).
But the main point we’re trying to make is that we’re not anti-decibels, but we are anti-prolonged-exposure-to-high-level-decibels, and here is our reasoning...
The National Institutes of Health tells us that long or repeated exposure to sound above 85 decibels (dB) can cause hearing loss - and just because we love our research - a second opinion from the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention believes that any noise above 70dB may start to damage hearing.
Because of these statistics, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that all worker exposure to noise should be controlled below a level of 85dB over 8 hours (a typical workday) to prevent occupational noise induced hearing loss.
Now, we know what you’re thinking... “What the hell does that have to do with dog grooming? You haven’t acknowledged us since your tangent about smock pockets!”
Dryers!
We know them, we love them, we couldn’t do our job without them, but like a toddler in the confectionary aisle at your local supermarket, they’re relentlessly loud!
A study completed by NIOSH looked at noise impacts from professional dog grooming forced-air dryers, including some of the popular variants such as the k9 and Double K dryers.
They tested four dryers within a metre of the source (given most groomers are positioned closely to the dryer) and recorded an average of 105 to 108dB. Meaning - to adhere to the National Occupational Safety and Health guidelines, a groomer would need to limit exposure to less than five minutes per 8-hour workday.
Well, it’s hard to make a living off only bathing just one Italian Greyhound per day so what is the solution to limiting exposure?
PPE is your best friend!
not a euphemism
Ear protectors are non-negotiable when using dryers and are one of the cheapest yet most important tools a groomer can own! Ear plugs offer greater protection than earmuffs because they fit directly into the ear canal but should only be applied with clean and dry hands which is not always convenient when we’re handling wet dogs, so earmuffs may be preferred.
When choosing your PPE, have a look at the Noise Reduction Rating (NNR). A little disclaimer from us: whilst these values are represented as decibels, an NNR rating of 33, for example, does not mean it reduces noise exposure by 33dB (there is a lot more mathematical mumbo jumbo that goes into the equation but nevertheless, a higher NNR is better).
Before we love you and leave you, we do just want to let you know that a dog’s bark is (on average) 90db, so if you do have a Sir-Barks-A-Lot in your salon or mobile space, don’t be afraid to pop those bad boys on, in fact, WE INSIST!
In the wise words of Joni Mitchell, “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”, and your hearing really could be ear today, gone tomorrow – sorry we had to.
Ear plugs and kisses,
The igroomhub Team x
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