What are you doing to protect you hearing both now and in the future?
A question we need to ask ourselves and our children. With the advent of portable music devices and earbuds the possibility for people to loose their hearing faster and at younger ages is increasing. Protecting your hearing goes beyond that. Yes, it is true that with the use of earbuds, and the sound being forced directly into the ear canal, that our ears are "defenseless" to protect us from the damage caused by loud volumes. And yes, the use of headphones increases the possibility of hearing lose. And so does going to concerts and listening to your stereo at high volumes and shooting guns without hearing protection, all of that and more.
But, so many people think "well, if i just don't turn the volume up to high with my ear buds or head phones and don't listen to my music too loud then I'll be fine". But that is only part of the story.
As an audio professional, acoustician and business owner we (as a company) spend numerous hours training our staff on the dangers (from a hearing stand point) of our industry and that our ears are our living so protect them. We teach how to properly "double muff" when we are conducting high level noise measurements and how long they can be exspoused to high level audio. We teach the dangers of even an instant burst of sound energy and that a split second of carelessness can cause permenent hearing damage (and we have had that happen to one of our acousticians). I have conducted teaching sessions dispelling the myth that tuning a large concert rig must be performed at concert levels (they don't, just get them above the noise floor). All that and more, but what about the daily stuff?
See you can do all of that stuff and still miss the mark. So, what are you doing to protect your hearing? What about the TV? What about when you mow the lawn or weed-eat? Or drive in your car?
"Oh Gordon", you say, "it is no big deal." Well ask that question again after you consider the OSHA standard chart below -
TABLE G-16 - PERMISSIBLE NOISE EXPOSURES (1)
______________________________________________________________
|
Duration per day, hours | Sound level dBA slow response
____________________________|_________________________________
|
8...........................| 90
6...........................| 92
4...........................| 95
3...........................| 97
2...........................| 100
1 1/2 ......................| 102
1...........................| 105
1/2 ........................| 110
1/4 or less................| 115
____________________________|________________________________
Footnote(1) When the daily noise exposure is composed of two or
more periods of noise exposure of different levels, their combined
effect should be considered, rather than the individual effect of
each. If the sum of the following fractions: C(1)/T(1) + C(2)/T(2)
C(n)/T(n) exceeds unity, then, the mixed exposure should be
considered to exceed the limit value. Cn indicates the total time of
exposure at a specified noise level, and Tn indicates the total time
of exposure permitted at that level. Exposure to impulsive or impact
noise should not exceed 140 dB peak sound pressure level.
If you just glance at the above chart and not read the foot note you will miss the fact that the noise lose chart is CUMULATIVE!
That fact is often missed by so many and they don't realize it until they lay down one night in bed and notice that their ears are "ringing".....
I'll stop.
Pardon the dust from my soap box....
Gordon
