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How to tell if a sound is too loud

Prolonged exposure to sounds over 80 decibels can damage your ears.
If you can't talk to people two metres away without shouting, it means the noise level is dangerous and you should take precautions to protect your hearing.

If you've ever been to a club or gig or listened to loud music on your MP3 player then found you can't hear properly for a few hours afterwards, then your ears are telling you that the sound was too loud. 

To reduce the risk you should limit the amount of time you spend listening to loud music, take regular breaks and wear earplugs to protect your hearing.

Is there a safe listening time?

If the level of sound ever hurts your ears, you should leave immediately.

Your hearing can be damaged by a combination of three factors - the length of time you expose yourself to a noise, the average level of the noise and the peak level of the noise. However another variable is how susceptible you are to hearing damage. This varies from person to person and you can only know how susceptible you are after you have damaged your hearing, so it is important to take precautions to prevent it.


Levels of noise

Noise levels are measured in decibels denoted as dB(A) which is a scale that reflects the sensitivity of human ears to different levels of sound. Take a look at the approximate levels of some familiar sounds:

  • 20 dB(A) is a quiet room at night
  • 60 dB(A) is ordinary conversation
  • 70 dB(A) is a city street

SOUNDS OVER 80dB(A) CAN DAMAGE YOUR HEARING

  • 80 -110 dB(A) is a night club
  • 110dB(A) is a pneumatic drill nearby
  • 110 - 120 dB(A) is a rock concert
  • 130 dB(A) is an aeroplane taking off 100 metres away
  • 140 db(A) is a the threshold of pain for many people