The answer is no. The NRR and SNR are measured in a laboratory, on a human subject test panel, under best-fit laboratory conditions. These tests don't account for facial hair, glasses, or an improperly fitted earplug. FitCheck Solo measures the real Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR) — on this worker, wearing their own earplugs or earmuffs — in about five minutes.
The FitCheck Solo family of products is designed to measure insert-type or muff-type hearing protector attenuation on the end-user. Whether you want to measure hearing protector effectiveness on a select group of employees or an entire workforce, the FitCheck Solo products can be adapted to meet your needs. Every system runs on the same FitCheck Solo software platform, so it's easy to expand as your program grows. Select systems below for full details.
Individual fit testing for personal in-ear protective equipment.
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Objective, data-driven testing for earmuffs — no user input required.
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Validates combined earplug and earmuff performance in high-noise environments.
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Scalable, tablet-based testing for large teams and annual programs.
See details →Hearing protection is only effective if it's worn correctly. Traditional ratings like NRR/SNR provide an estimate of protection provided to a population of wearers, but they can't predict how an individual actually fits and wears their hearing protection on the job. Fit testing bridges that gap by measuring the Personal Attenuation Rating — a real-world measurement of how much protection a worker is actually receiving. Hearing protector attenuation varies because of many factors, including ear canal physiology, user dexterity and personal preferences. Ambient noise conditions also affect how employees fit their hearing protection. Higher ambient noise levels dictate greater attenuation requirements to keep the wearer safe. For insert-types, this often means wearing a plug deeper into the ear canal. Overprotection is another factor that is important but rarely considered. Hearing protection should be selected that balances adequate protection and the ability to communicate.
Every FitCheck Solo system shares a common software platform, based on the NIOSH HPD WellFit program and customized by Michael & Associates for industrial application. Results across the lineup are representative of the ANSI S12.6-2016 laboratory test method, widely considered the gold standard for hearing protector attenuation measurements.
No traditional annual calibration is required. A quick biologic calibration is completed within the software using a user with normal hearing, and takes less than a minute — removing the servicing complexity required by some competing systems.
A recent study measured the time required for FitCheck Solo tests run on 3 test frequencies, which is a common approach to testing. On average, these tests took about 5.5 minutes — a realistic, end-to-end time.
Yes, the FitCheck Solo tests are run on the employees actual hearing protection. No surrogate products are used, therefore no surrogate products need to be kept in stock as consumables.
Yes, FitCheck Solo can be run on any type of insert hearing protection, including custom-molded.
Well, thank you for asking. Yes, FitCheck Solo (optionally) addresses communication requirements by including the EN458 'rating' of how appropriate a specific HPD is for a specific ambient noise level. This is unique among fit-testing platforms and is gaining acceptance in the international military and industrial communities.
No. The test can be conducted in a relatively quiet environment, such as a normal office.
First of all, the formulas are different. The NRR and SNR include safety factors in their calculation so that they can cover large parts of the population. The PAR doesn't need to include any safety factors since it's not a population estimate – it's a measurement of attenuation on an end-user. Therefore, the PAR reflects real-world, user-specific performance. An individual's PAR can come in higher or lower than the published NRR/SNR. Low PAR values probably indicate poor HPD fitting or an improper HPD selection.
Testing annually, in conjunction with annual audiometric testing, may be a convenient approach. Testing more or less often is the employer's choice. With FitCheck Solo Mobile, there's an option to set up a FitCheck Solo Kiosk that could be used by the employee at any time. Annual testing provides documentation that the employer is embracing the NIOSH-recommended gold standard in hearing conservation.
Hearing loss doesn't prevent a valid PAR result, but it may make it harder for the employee to detect test signals in the frequency range of his/her hearing loss, most likely in the 4000 Hz range. This can lead to more variable thresholds or 'no response' conditions at specific frequencies. The PAR will still be calculated on the reduced data set of valid test results.
Using FitCheck Solo as an audiometer enables organizations to conduct in-house hearing tests more efficiently than relying on two distinct systems, or relying on a mobile testing service. Look for FitCheck Solo Audiometry in the near future.
Contact sales to learn more about the FitCheck Solo lineup, or reach out to learn how our systems work for your site.
