Just another thing about shop safety I thought I’d pass along.
I’ve been a bench jeweler for over 20 years now. Having used
ultrasonic cleaners every day I’ve recently noticed something.
I’ve lost some hearing in the high frequency range. These little
miracles of modern tech. definetly have their downside. Perhaps we
should consider these things when purchasing a new one and even
enclose them when running if they’re in the same room with us
everyday. When younger, I knew a 50-yr veteran of the trade who
would not have one. He thought they just loostened stones. Some
of this I would imagine was due to just being stuck in his ways
as he prefered to scrub them indivually by hand and dry them in
sawdust! However, nothing comes without a price and this I think,
is the price of speed in our work.
Met a retired F-86 jet fighter pilot whose hearing in the
turbine engine frequency range is shot. Odd disability as he
hears OK in the frequency ranges below and above the jet
engine’s noise signature.
Before we put down our hearing loss to the use of ultrasonic
cleaners, can we rule out firearm use and rock and roll? Both of
these are clearly documented. I’ve abused my ears on both counts.
Why should I look for more excuses? I have never heard of anyone
else with this complaint about the cleaners.
I've been a bench jeweler for over 20 years now. Having used
ultrasonic cleaners every day I've recently noticed something.
I've lost some hearing in the high frequency range. These
little miracles of modern tech. definetly have their downside.
Don’t be too quick to blame the hi frequency hearing loss on the
the ultrasonic cleaning unit. Hi frequency hearing loss is a
normal part of aging. There are 2 small bones in the inner ear
(anvil & stirup, I believe) that tend to calcifey as we age. This
condition causes them to be less responsive when transfering
high frequency vibrations from the ear drum to the rest of the
ear.
Back in the 70’s there was an otolaryngologist in Iowa City IA
that preformed an operation to remove the calcification & restore
the high frequency hearing. I don’t know if that procedure ever
became widely used or not.
At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, what you say about
other sources of hearing damage is certainly true. I know of no
other source of extended & regular high-frequency noise commonly
found. While the things (and many other sources) of noise
pollution can certainly damage our hearing, they’re more in the
lower frequency range.
Steve, I agree with you about the hearing loss, due to
ultrasonic.At my last gig, the sales people would turn the timer
knob for 30 min, and clean the piece for 5, then walk away. I
ended making a cardbord box for a cover which helped alot.The
cover muffles the sound alot and I remember reading about this
in one of the trade magazines. Your mention of sawdust reminded
me of the swet shops that also used boil out. Do you remember
that? Don Wollwage
Don: I never tried the boil-out method but the jeweler I
mentioned used a solution of lye & water for the job. Just don’t
splatter any on you! Mean stuff! He used cuttle-bone for
casting and he remembered fondly his years at the furnace,
smelting 14k gold wire of various guages and colors to make
honest-to goodness filigree jewelery by hand! Practicaly a lost
art now. I only wish I still had him around to talk to. Oh
well, too soon old, too late smart eh?