[tweetiepooh]

Of course PPE is a last resort. If there is a hazard you remove the hazard first, then protect workers exposed to the hazard.

In the case of a clock bell striking it's a no brainer, you turn off the bell.

But it wasn't simply noise, it's the shock waves and that PPE gear can also become a hazard in their own right. If you block of sound, it makes it more difficult to communicate, e.g. what if you needed to shout to a colleague about an immediate danger. (Yes you could have communication built in but would they? And a sudden shout in the silence could be interesting.)