Audiology

Hearing

 

How Much Noise Is Too Much? Any sound that’s loud enough and lasts long enough can lead to hearing loss. An easy way tell if noise may be potentially harmful is to pay attention to warning signs. that a sound might be damaging your hearing. A sound may be harmful if: • You have difficulty talking or hearing others talk over the sound • The sound makes your ears hurt • Your ears are ringing after exposure to the noise • Other sounds seem muffled after you leave the noisy area

Preventing Noise-Related Hearing Loss

Noise-related hearing loss is preventable. The surest form of prevention is to keep yourself out of situations where you can be exposed to loud noises or even moderate, prolonged noise. When noise exposure is unavoidable, high quality hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) should be used at all times.

The chart below gives you some examples of various noises, their loudness levels measured in decibels (dB), and points at which hearing damage can occur.

Sound Type	Loudness Level	What Happens to Ear
Weakest Sound Heard	0 dB
Average Home Noise	40 dB
Normal Conversational Speech	60-70 dB
Telephone Dial Tone	80 dB
City Traffic (inside car)	85 dB
Shouted Conversation	90 dB	Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss
Subway at 200'	95 dB
Boombox / ATV / Motorcycle	96-100 dB
School Dance	101-105 dB
Power Mower	107 dB
Power Saw / Leaf Blower	110 dB
Rock Concert / Football Game	125 dB	Pain begins
Pneumatic Riveter at 4'	125 dB
Stockcar Races	130 dB
Gunshot / Siren at 100'	140 dB
Rocket Engine	180 dB

 

Learn More

• Workplace Safety Guidelines From OSHA
• Smart Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
• Types of Hearing Protection Devices