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What's your Headphone Policy?
- Thread starter StarSign
- Start date
Smoke_Jaguar
Man who touches printers inappropriately.
Printers make weird noises when shit is going on, so I tell people to use their senses. If the operators are getting terrible pay, I just shrug and figure they are only paying for part of the person's mental bandwidth.
One ear in when punters are on prem - lets me catch calls, listen to machines, and hear when fools are wandering in.
Two ears when I have the house, or production doors are shut and energy needed.
No ears when I'm concerned that stuff might be interesting.
No ears and amp + speakers when punters are on prem, door is closed, energy needed and a sonic DND is required to discourage interuptions. And A+S+volume, when fast energy music is needed to kill the last jobs in the evening (helps me to not hear how out of tune I can be).
Two ears when I have the house, or production doors are shut and energy needed.
No ears when I'm concerned that stuff might be interesting.
No ears and amp + speakers when punters are on prem, door is closed, energy needed and a sonic DND is required to discourage interuptions. And A+S+volume, when fast energy music is needed to kill the last jobs in the evening (helps me to not hear how out of tune I can be).
JBurton
Signtologist
Huh?
*removes airpod*
I get onto folks when they use them in the office, like if I can't walk in and start interfacing with you, there is a problem. Either turn it down low enough that you can hear me at your door, or get rid of one.
For production, it just depends. Driving a million nails while trimcapping gets to be a headache...
For install, you can have one in for phone calls, but don't let me catch you jamming out with it. I personally ask siri to divide by whatever or verify dimensions.
*removes airpod*
I get onto folks when they use them in the office, like if I can't walk in and start interfacing with you, there is a problem. Either turn it down low enough that you can hear me at your door, or get rid of one.
For production, it just depends. Driving a million nails while trimcapping gets to be a headache...
For install, you can have one in for phone calls, but don't let me catch you jamming out with it. I personally ask siri to divide by whatever or verify dimensions.
crashaffinity
New Member
We don't have a policy per se at our shop but i use bone conduction so i can listen to a tune but still hear everything around me.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
they always fall out of my ear
FireSprint.com
Wholesale Signs, Stickers, Banners-Free Shipping
One earbud here at FireSprint. They need to be able to hear around them.
Johnny Best
Active Member
In the shop is a “hey google “speaker with Frédéric Chopin’, Warren Zevonmuor Blind Faith music. The gym is the only place I wear ear buds, if a call comes in I will text back and call back when I finish. Table saws and printers are music to my ears.
Surgeons more accurate when listening to AC/DC, research finds
Surgeons who listen to AC/DC while operating reportedly provide more accurate and efficient results for their patients.
www.rollingstone.co.uk
And slightly more accademic https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33812805/
Think713
New Member
The shop I work in is loud. Printers are loud. When I have 3 printers running an occasional air compressor turn on, a flat bed router running, etc... Things get loud. To the point where it is 10000% damaging to your ears. So i wear headphones/earbuds 100% of the time. Idc if someone has to ask me to pull one out. If you have a problem with it, then pay for m health insurance (which they do not.) My hearing and longevity of that hearing is more important to me than any boss's bottom line. Period. Full stop, zero negotiating on that.
kcollinsdesign
Old member
Listening to music while trying to think is distracting and decreases productivity. If critical thinking is not needed, and the task is repetitive and mundane, listening to music is still distracting but may help the time go by.
In a collaborative work environment headphones can be a nuisance and get in the way of communication. On a production floor or a job site that may have hazards headphones are not recommended.
As far as policy goes, we don't ban headphones but we prefer our employees use them judiciously and only when safe and their use does not compromise production.
I do not listen to music when actively engaged in my work. I find it distracting and counter-productive. In our shop I need to hear what is going on and be 100% available for comments and discussions with fellow workers.
Note that I am a musician and an audiophile; music is a big part of my life. There is a place and time for listening to music, but not when I am trying to figure things out or get things done.
In a collaborative work environment headphones can be a nuisance and get in the way of communication. On a production floor or a job site that may have hazards headphones are not recommended.
As far as policy goes, we don't ban headphones but we prefer our employees use them judiciously and only when safe and their use does not compromise production.
I do not listen to music when actively engaged in my work. I find it distracting and counter-productive. In our shop I need to hear what is going on and be 100% available for comments and discussions with fellow workers.
Note that I am a musician and an audiophile; music is a big part of my life. There is a place and time for listening to music, but not when I am trying to figure things out or get things done.
Smoke_Jaguar
Man who touches printers inappropriately.
Still haven't seen someone crash a printhead on a flatbed due to a dropped earbud, but I figure I will eventually...
Think713
New Member
Considering those 2 things don't have any relation to one another, I doubt you will lol
Think713
New Member
I don't disagree here. I also produce music and spend much of my freetime working on music. But for ME personally i find flow states and focus is assisted by music. Or some kind of audio that isnt external. I'm definitely a touch on the spectrum, so the operating noise from printers to me is actually what is distracting. I wear my earbuds to drown more sound out rather than hold sound in. It takes literally 1 second to pull a headphone out of your ear and listen to someone ask a question, etc. I don't see the safety issue other than potential damage to peoples hearing. A lot of safety when it comes to things in a shop have more to do with situational awareness. If an installer is next to a rack that has material on it that is being removed by a forklift, Its probably wise of that installer to simply move until they're done. And while some of that is indeed "hearing" what is going on, you're going to be using more of your eye sight and basic awareness. The running of a motor of an aircompressor or a forklift shifts the energy in the room, and i've never met a person that cant tell in a relatively small shop when one of those things happens despite having headphones or earbuds in.
But thats just me. I definitely understand anyone's desired policies or practices towards it. I as an individual happen to push against it, and just do what I do anyway. I can imagine that bothers some boss's or managers, but IDC and I still have my job because I do a good job.
JBurton
Signtologist
This is a selfish stance. From the other person's perspective, it takes asking once, waiting 1 second to remove your earbud, then they can repeat their question a second time for you.
Think713
New Member
Yea well.. I do my job well...Id rather someone repeat themselves then me have to subject myself to a loud environment that is potentially damaging to my ears permanently. If the boss pays for my health insurance, then I'll consider it, but until that day comes, Ima work how I work because I do it well.. It may be selfish, but its inconsiderate of others to subject their employees to negative consequences of being in their shop for their profit.
And i feel the same way about non ventilated environments. The printers I work on are in a small room, and there is not much ventillation. So should I make it an inconvenience to my boss by reporting them to OSHA? (Im being hyperbolic) but when trucks are being pulled in and out of the shop and I have to breath in diesel exhaust fumes, or fumes from rapid remover, etc... Should I just have no bearing on that as an employee at all?
Subject me to all of these external things that are damaging to my health, and I am going to do EVERYTHING that minimizes that. If thats selfish, then take it up with a lawyer. Too many business's don't actually care about the health of their employees, that stuff needs to stop.
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