Analysis of the functional and acoustical comfort of earplugs experienced by a group of workers in Canadian companies and identification of the influencing variables

Auteurs

Bastien Poissenot-Arrigoni, Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, ÉTS, Montréal, Canada
Olivier Doutres, Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), 1100 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, H3C 1K3, QC, Canada
Alessia Negrini, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST)Follow
Djamal Berbiche, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Département des Sciences de la Santé Communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
Franck Sgard, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST)Follow

Type de document

Études primaires

Année de publication

2026

Langue

Anglais

Titre de la revue

Safety Science

Résumé

Earplugs are essential for hearing protection in noisy workplaces, but their effectiveness depends heavily on user comfort, which influences proper and consistent use. This study explores functional and acoustical comfort experienced by 173 workers across Canadian companies, each testing different ’disposable or reusable’ earplug models over seven weeks. Comfort is assessed using detailed questionnaires covering six subdimensions: ease of insertion and removal, noise protection, impact on work, and discomfort related to internal and external noise perception. Linear mixed-effects models are applied within a triad framework encompassing person-, earplug-, and environment-related characteristics in order to identify those with a significant influence on functional and acoustical comfort. Results show that person-related variables are the most influential. Handedness, hearing loss, and prior HPD experience significantly impact comfort, with left-handed participants reporting greater insertion and removal discomfort—possibly due to earcanal asymmetry and dexterity differences. Several earcanal morphological features also play a role, including isoperimetric ratios, circumference at multiple cross-sections, conicity, and length. Only a few earplug-specific characteristics influence comfort outcomes. Foam expansion time is linked to reduced acoustical discomfort associated with the perception of internal sounds, while stem presence improves insertion ease. Environmental factors do not have significant effects. In the longer term, these findings call for a rethinking of the design and selection of ’disposable or reusable’ earplugs, primarily based on earcanal morphology and users’ past experience. The study also underscores the need for improved objective metrics to assess comfort and supports the development of more personalized hearing protection solutions.

Mots-clés

Protège-tympan, Earplug, Bouchon, Protection de l'ouïe, Hearing protection, Évaluation du confort, Comfort assessment, Essai du matériel, Equipment testing, Atténuation du bruit, Sound attenuation

Numéro de projet IRSST

2015-0014

Citation recommandée

Poissenot-Arrigoni, B., Doutres, O., Negrini, A., Berbiche, D. et Sgard, F. (2026). Analysis of the functional and acoustical comfort of earplugs experienced by a group of workers in Canadian companies and identification of the influencing variables. Safety Science, 196, article 107098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107098