Don’t Lose the Music is a national campaign launched by RNID, the charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. RNID is the largest charity working to change the world for the UK's 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people
Contents |
Objectives
The campaign aims to highlight the danger of listening to music too loudly – mainly focusing on exposure to loud music:
- at nightclubs
- at concerts/gigs
- on personal audio equipment
Experts agree that exposure to sounds over 85dB over time can cause damage to hearing. Many concert venues and nightclubs play music at levels over 100 decibels. It is also possible to listen to music on personal audio equipment (such as MP3 players) at levels up to 115 decibels, depending on where you bought the equipment.
Damage to hearing is caused by a combination of three factors – length of exposure to the noise, the average level of the noise and the peak level of the noise. Another variable is how susceptible you are as an individual to hearing damage. This varies from person to person so you can only know how susceptible you are after the damage to your hearing has been done.
A general rule of thumb is that the louder the sound, the less time you should listen to it for.
Exposure to loud music can lead to a range of hearing problems such as noise induced hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis.
Here are some commonly quoted comparisons of sound levels:
- 0 dB - the lowest sound level a person with normal hearing can detect
- 20 dB(A) - is a quiet room at night
- 60 dB(A) - is ordinary spoken conversation
- 80 dB(A) - is shouting
- 90 dB(A) - is an underground railway
- 110 dB(A) - is a pneumatic drill nearby
- 130 dB(A) - is an aeroplane taking off 100m away
Events
In order to promote the campaign, RNID attend music festivals and gigs, handing out earplugs and information.
References
- "Output Levels of Portable Digital Music Players," Cory D. F. Portnuff and Brian J. Fligor, Sc. D. , CCC-A, Thursday, October 19, 2006, 1:30 PM; laypaper at http://www.hearingconservation.org/docs/virtualPressRoom/portnuff.htm
- "Does earphone type affect risk for recreational noise-induced hearing loss?" Brian J. Fligor, Sc. D. , CCC-A and Terri Ives, Sc. D, Thursday, October 19, 2006, 1:50 PM; laypaper at http://www.hearingconservation.org/docs/virtualPressRoom/FligorIves.pdf
External links
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic