Do you wear hearing protection while running your woodworking tools? If you’re using tools louder than a band saw (roughly rated at 90 decibels) then you should PROTECT YOUR EARS.

A woodworker over at the ‘Creek got his hands on a decibel measuring instrument and got a read on the tools that he uses regularly. You probably use some of these and you might be surprised at how much risk you run for “Noise Induced Hearing Loss.”

This list comes from one woodworker’s measurements (along with OSHA’s maximum daily exposure recommendations):

Hearing Damage Occurs:
Porter Cable Framing Nailer (pneumatic): 125 dB
Craftsman 5 Gallon Shop-Vac: 123 dB

15 Minutes:
Craftsman 7 1/4 Circular Saw: 118 dB

30 Minutes:
Porter Cable 7518 Router: 113 dB
Porter Cable 690 Router: 110 dB

1 hour:
Hitachi M12V (in router table): 105 dB
Dewalt Bisquit Jointer: 105 dB
Excel 10″ miter saw: 105 dB
Ridgid 13″ Planer: 104 dB
Milwaukee Sawzall: 103 dB

1 1/2 hours:
Porter Cable 343 Random Orbit Sander: 102 dB
Milwaukee Jigsaw: 101 dB
Craftsman Hand Held Belt Sander: 101 dB
Porter Cable Finish Nailer (pneumatic): 101 dB

2 hours:
Bosch 4212L Compound Miter Saw: 100 dB

More Resources:
Shop noise – SMC Thread
OSHA Noise Level Recommendations [PDF]
Hearing Protection for Woodworkers
Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart – sets danger zone at 90-95 decibels
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss: How do I know whether am exposed to dangerous noise levels?
Most Dangerous Power Tools