Hearing loss

This equates to approximately 7.6 million people exposing themselves to more than 3.5 hours of reproduced sound each day. 

Despite regulations being in place, 79% of respondents are unaware that their employer is legally required to protect them from NIHL, even if they are listening to non-work related content. 

 

Regulations stipulate that workers must not be exposed to average noise levels of 85dB over an eight hour period. Prolonged exposure to noise above the average limit of 85dB can result in NIHL. 

Most users are unaware that their hearing can be permanently damaged by the cumulative effect of relatively modest levels. So even if it were possible to get the users and employers to understand what the safe listening levels are it would be impossible for them to monitor their own hearing effectively to protect it without using technology to help.