How loud is too loud?
We measure sound in units called decibels or dB’s. While there are laws guiding the amount of noise a person can be exposed to in the workplace, noise is considered to be too loud if the sound is over 85 dB and hearing protection should be worn. To give you a reference, the wind in the trees can be 20 dB; a person when talking can be 55 dB. A chainsaw can be measured at 95 dB and a single handgun blast can be as much as 160 dB! As a rule of thumb, if you have to raise your voice over the noise, you should be wearing hearing protection. No person should be exposed to sounds over 120 dB for even very short periods of time without hearing protection. Levels over 120 dB can cause permanent damage even after one brief exposure.
Sounds are measured in decibels (dB’s). For example, the wind in the trees is 20 dB; a person talking is approx. 55 dB; a chainsaw could be measured up to 95 dB and a single handgun blast can be as much as 160 dB! Short exposure to a noise of 120 dB or above, without hearing protection is highly dangerous and can result in permanent damage.
