Yeah that "slowing us down" part hits hard. I got the same pain from constant forklift beeps. Wore basic foam plugs for years but they never cut it. Finally spent on custom molded earplugs from an audiologist. Game changer. Also kept a gel ice pack in the break room freezer for my neck. Took the edge off enough to function.
Man, I feel this. I had the same problem with the constant high-pitched alarms on my crew's job sites and regular earplugs just weren't cutting it. Finally got custom fitted ones from an audiologist and it made a huge difference in my overall comfort during the day. Now I can actually focus without that ringing noise wearing me down.