[johnr]

Wow, this thread really hits home for me. I was in light construction for thirty years. Just power saws and airguns. Now i am 48 and wearing two hearing aids.Wish i knew then what i know now.
Lets say you really like robotics and you get lucky and join a team that goes to two regionals and nationals every year.Your brother is on the team so you get to tag along in 8th grade and you come back your first year of college. So that works out to 42 days of comps or 336 hours of noise. Add in working in shop and off season events. I would say getting some hearing damage is a good possiblity. Remember, just a little damage early in life can come back to bite you later. Protect your hearing just like you protect your eyes.