Which of the following is a category of hearing protection?

Hearing protection is essential in environments where noise levels can potentially cause hearing damage. Earplugs are a well-recognized form of personal protective equipment specifically designed to fit into the ear canal and reduce the intensity of sound reaching the eardrum. This makes them effective in reducing exposure to harmful noise levels, aiding in the prevention of hearing loss due to prolonged exposure to loud sounds.

Noise-canceling headphones are designed to reduce or cancel ambient sound, but they are typically used for comfort and sound quality enhancement rather than as formal hearing protection in occupational settings. Acoustic panels and soundproof enclosures serve to control noise within a space but are not personal protective devices that someone would wear. Instead, they focus on sound absorption or blocking, which can reduce overall noise levels in an environment but do not protect the individual’s hearing in the same way that earplugs do.