While it's widely recognized that hearing protection is crucial in environments with obvious loud noises, such as concerts and construction sites, there are many everyday situations where the risk of noise-induced hearing loss is underestimated!
The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (in audiology lingo, “dB”). Generally speaking, sounds that exceed 80 dB over a long period of time can damage your hearing, and loud sounds above 120 dB can cause immediate damage! Here are some examples of decibel levels for common sounds:
Whisper: 30 dB
Normal conversation: 60–70 dB
Lawnmowers: 80–100 dB
Sports events: 94–110 dB
Sirens from emergency vehicles: 110–129 dB
Power saw, jackhammer, motorcycle: 110 dB
Rock concert: 120 dB
Jet engine: 130 dB
Fireworks: 140–160 dB!!
It's important to protect your ears from excessively loud sounds by using ear protection to prevent hearing loss.