At concerts and festivals, the sound levels of music can cause irreversible hearing damage. This article presents the existing sound legislation, the dangers associated with intense sound exposure, and the solutions available to protect your ears while still enjoying the music.
What is the sound volume at a concert or festival ?
At a concert or festival, your ears are exposed to high sound levels due to music and ambient noise, often for several hours or even days. Currently, 75% of Belgians do not care about their hearing, yet a large number of them suffer from hearing problems. In fact, more than 1 in 10 Belgians have permanent tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears). According to Audika, 7 out of 10 people have experienced tinnitus after attending a festival. This issue is largely due to a lack of awareness of the irreversible hearing consequences associated with intense sound exposure. Since our hearing is essential to our social life, it is urgent to address this concern.
Ears can be exposed to 80 decibels for 8 hours. An increase of 3 decibels halves the exposure time (83 dB for 4 hours of exposure, 86 decibels for 2 hours of exposure, etc.). At concerts or festivals, our ears are subjected to sound intensities reaching up to 100 decibels, sometimes even 105 decibels. At 100 decibels, ears can only be exposed for a maximum of 5 minutes without experiencing irreversible hearing damage. Therefore, it is crucial to protect your ears by wearing hearing protection.
According to a survey conducted in 2017 at the Melrock Festival, two reasons explain why festival-goers do not protect their ears:
Forgetting to use ear protection.
The fear of being isolated and not fully enjoying the music
In the next section, we present the types of hearing protection available.
What solutions are there to protect your ears and still enjoy the music ?
There are 4 categories of hearing protection:
Standard disposable foam earplugs: These are made of foam and offer low protection (30%). They do not perfectly conform to the shape of the ears, and they have a tendency to fall out, losing their protective effect. Additionally, they completely isolate the person, which affects the quality of the music. They cost around €2 and are typically provided at festivals.
Standard reusable earplugs with filters: These are composed of an acoustic filter that maintains good sound quality. However, since these earplugs are standard, they may cause discomfort or fall out of the ear canal as they do not properly conform to the shape of the ears. Therefore, they offer low protection (30%). These silicone protections are generally sold between €10 and €20.
Standard noise-canceling headphones: Headphones are ideal hearing protection for children. They provide proper protection for the wearer. However, their effectiveness varies depending on factors such as the shape of the face and other parameters (wearing glasses, sweating, etc.). Nevertheless, they completely isolate the person, which affects the quality of the music. The price of headphones varies between €20 and €35.
Custom reusable earplugs: These earplugs are currently the most recommended as they protect your hearing by 100%. Since each ear is unique, these plugs are custom-made to fit perfectly into each ear canal. These earplugs also offer excellent sound reduction while maintaining perfect sound quality (for listening to music and for conversing with friends). Depending on the chosen specifications (type of filter, etc.), these earplugs cost between €130 and €170 per pair. Custom earplugs are durable for up to 5 years. Given that this is the best protection, some health insurance providers reimburse part of the cost of custom earplugs, up to €50.
What is the legislation regarding noise in Belgium ?
According to the Brussels legislation, the maximum sound level has been set at 85 decibels (dBA) without conditions as of February 21, 2018.
However, some organizations may exceed this threshold under certain conditions and reach sound levels of 95 dB(A) and 100 dB(A).
For this first exception of 95 decibels (dBA), establishments have certain obligations to comply with, such as:
Informing the public about the risks of the sound levels being emitted.
Displaying the sound level in real-time.
Recording the sound levels and keeping a history in case of broadcasting after midnight.
Making the measurements in dB(A) and dB(C) continuously visible to the public, as this helps inform about the risks to the ear.
For a volume reaching 100 decibels (dBA), the rules multiply:
Informing the public about the risks of the sound levels being emitted.
Displaying the sound level in real-time.
Recording the sound levels and keeping a history in case of broadcasting after midnight.
Making the measurements in dB(A) and dB(C) continuously visible to the public, as this helps inform about the risks to the ear.
Providing hearing protection and an auditory rest area <85 dB(A).
Designating a contact person to ensure compliance with the conditions."
Discover custom-made hearing protection dedicated to music by clicking on the following link: https://www.decilo.be/music-earplugs?lang=fr
Bibliography :