Jim Duffy is the founder of ReadyMax and the inventor of the SoundShield integrated hearing protection system. He holds multiple international patents for retractable tethered hearing protection technology.

ReadyMax started because the safety industry ignored human nature. Workers skip hearing protection because friction kills compliance. Foam plugs get lost, collect grit in pockets or sit on workbenches while the circular saw is running. By the time a worker realizes they need protection, the hardware is missing. They keep working. They sacrifice their hearing for the sake of the schedule.

I founded ReadyMax to eliminate that gap. The goal was to build safety glasses with built-in ear plugs. Tie hearing protection to the one piece of gear that stays on the face. If the protection is already there, the worker uses it.

The SoundShield Mechanism

The logic of SoundShield is mechanical. We built retractable ear plugs directly into the temple pieces of the frames. When the decibels spike, you pull them out. When the task is done, a slide mechanism retracts the plugs back into the housing. A flip closure caps the ends. This keeps the silicone clean, dry and isolated from the job site environment.

a man wearing soundshield safety glasses with retractable earplugs inserting the ear plugs into his ears.

There is no separate carrying case to lose. There is no fumbling through pockets with gloved hands. The hearing protection is tethered to the glasses. It stays within reach at all times.

Independent Validation

We ran an independent research study through a firm in San Francisco to test this hardware against standard industry gear. We needed to know if the convenience translated to actual preference.

The data was conclusive. 19 out of 20 regular safety product users preferred SoundShield over their existing equipment. That 95% preference rate confirms that workers prioritize availability. They do not want more complex ear plugs. They want plugs that are present when the noise starts.

Recognition and Field Results

The design earned Innovation of the Month from Popular Mechanics. The Retail Dealers Trade Association also named SoundShield the best new product at the National Hardware Show.

While industry awards validate the engineering, the true metric is daily uptime on the job site.

The ReadyMax Ecosystem

One successful design proved the core thesis. We expanded the tethered concept to cover the entire safety equipment stack:

  • RipCord Retractors attach retractable plugs onto hard hats and bump caps
  • ZipOuts integrate protection into hardhats via 3M Adhesive and a zipper mechanism
  • PlugsPockets add dedicated tethered storage to standard safety vests

All these units use PermaPlug ear plugs. These plugs carry an NRR 27 decibel rating. They are washable, reusable and biodegradable. One pair of PermaPlugs replaces stacks of disposable foam. This reduces the footprint of the operation and cuts down on waste.

The Economics of Waste

Disposable foam plugs are a hidden drain on overhead. A safety team at a major manufacturing plant audited their consumption and found workers used multiple pairs per day. For a workforce of thousands, the cost is massive.

Their audit showed that switching 50% of the staff to SoundShield would save millions of dollars annually. This does not even account for the reduction in Foreign Object Debris (FOD). Foam plugs on the floor are a liability in food processing and precision manufacturing. Tethered plugs stay off the ground and out of the machinery.

Bottom Line

ReadyMax exists because convenience is the only way to guarantee safety. I spent twenty-five years hearing workers say they finally wear their protection because it is right there on their frames. That is the only metric that matters. The safest gear is the gear that is actually being worn when the machines turn on.

Check the technical specs for SoundShield and the ReadyMax line to see the hardware in action.