BS EN 352-1:2020

What is BS EN 352‑1 about?  

BS EN 352‑1 is the first part of the hearing protectors multi-series. 

BS EN 352‑1 specifies requirements for construction, design, performance, marking, and user information for earmuffs. 

BS EN 352‑1 specifies requirements regarding the sound attenuation of the earmuffs, measured by EN ISO 4869-1:2018. 

Note1: BS EN 352‑1 does not apply to earmuffs for attachment to head protection and/or face protection devices. 

Note2: BS EN 352‑1 does not apply to earmuffs outside the size range of head sizes as defined BS EN 352‑1. 

Who is BS EN 352‑1 for? 

BS EN 352‑1 on requirements for earmuffs is useful for: 

• Hearing protector device manufacturers 
• Hearing protector device testers 
• Hearing protector device designers 
• Acoustic engineers 
• Safety and health departments 

Why should you use BS EN 352‑1?  

Earmuffs are used as a hearing protection device to reduce noise levels and to protect the ears from exposure to excess volumes. 

BS EN 352‑1 specifies the material and construction, sizing requirements for hearing protectors this assists you in selecting the most appropriate model of earmuffs for their needs. The requirement about the ability to hear protectors reduce noise below limit levels is addressed in BS EN 352‑1 by requiring the sound attenuation of the hearing protectors, measured by EN ISO 4869-1. BS EN 352‑1 helps users by specifying the requirements for earmuffs to reduce the noise exposure level and the risk of hearing loss.BS EN 352‑1 also specifies the test methods for the measurement of the acoustic performance of hearing protectors. 

BS EN 352‑1 ensures that your earmuffs have optimum functionality and meet the minimum quality requirements for hearing protection devices. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN 352‑1:2020 supersedes EN 352-1:2002 and includes some technical changes concerning EN 352-1:2002 such as: 

• Headband force, clarification for universal earmuffs: measure headband force for all wearing modes 
• Drop test, clarification of test criterion: only the passive function (sound attenuation) needs to be checked (relevant for products with electronic supplementary functions) 
• Change in headband force: clarifications for data analysis, measurement protocol for universal earmuffs, and content of the user information 
• Insertion loss, clarification for asymmetrically designed earmuffs: criterion on standard deviations for insertion loss applied separately to the left and right cups, additional information for the user-supplied with the earmuffs for asymmetrically designed earmuffs 
• Minimum sound attenuation: change of requirements for minimum sound attenuation from octave band values to HML values and APVf98. Marking, additional requirement: marking with manufacturing date or date of obsolescence