Australian standard
AS/NZS 1270: hearing protectors
Standards Australia publishes AS/NZS 1270 covering hearing protectors and their testing. Earmuff and earplug listings cite it with a class number and an SLC80 figure, which together are how a protector is matched to a noise level.
What is AS/NZS 1270?
AS/NZS 1270 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for hearing protectors, published by Standards Australia. Earmuffs and earplugs sold here carry a class number and an SLC80 figure derived from testing under it, and those two numbers are how a protector is matched to a workplace noise level.
AS/NZS 1270 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for hearing protectors. It is the designation behind the class number and the SLC80 attenuation figure printed on earmuffs and earplugs.
Which products does it apply to?
1 guides on this hub cite AS/NZS 1270, across ppe and protective equipment, hearing protection.
| Marking on the listing | What it indicates | How it appears in these guides |
|---|---|---|
| Class 4 | Stated on some earmuff listings | A class number appears with an SLC80 figure |
| Class 5 | The most common class in this corpus | Stated on the majority of hearing protector listings here |
| SLC80 figure | Attenuation in decibels | Listings in this corpus state figures such as 26 dB, 28 dB and 32 dB |
Guides that cite AS/NZS 1270
Frequently asked questions
What does SLC80 mean on earmuffs?
SLC80 is the sound level conversion figure reported for a hearing protector tested under AS/NZS 1270, expressed in decibels. It is used with the class number to match a protector to a measured workplace noise level. Listings in these guides state the figure the manufacturer publishes.
Is a higher class always better?
No. Over protection is a real problem, because a worker who cannot hear speech, alarms or vehicles may remove the protector or miss a warning. The aim is to bring exposure under the limit, not to pick the highest number available.
Do earplugs and earmuffs add together?
Wearing both does increase protection, but not by simply adding the two figures, and manufacturers and your workplace procedure set out how to treat double protection. Fit matters more than the printed number, because a poorly seated protector loses most of its performance.
What this page is not
This page explains how AS/NZS 1270 is used in product listings. It is not the standard, and it does not reproduce its text. Compliance decisions should reference the published standard and your own workplace risk assessment.
- Standards Australia, AS/NZS 1270
- The product listings on donerightsafety.com.au that name this designation