Health and Safety: Hearing and Noise

[wulf]

HSW (Health and Safety at Work) is not a magazine I regularly read but I saw a copy in a colleagues office today with an electric violin on the cover and the headline "And the bands played on... Musicians cope with new noise limits". The gist is that new regulations have come into place affecting those who work in places with high volume music. As well as bar staff, etc, that covers musicians as well whether you're wedged between a guitarist's Marshall stack and a drumer trying to wake John Bonham or sitting in an orchestral pit in front of the brass section.

This legislation has been place for other noisy environments for sometime and was actually delayed because, to quote the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), "... music is unusual, as it is noise deliberately created for enjoyment...".

Personally, I prefer my music quiet enough to listen to rather than so loud it beats me round the head and will be glad if this gradually makes "loudest band in the world" less of a title that many bands seem to strive for. More details, including plenty of further reading [url="http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/musicsound.htm"]here[/url].

Wulf

[bremen]

[quote name='wulf' post='177976' date='Apr 16 2008, 03:53 PM']HSW (Health and Safety at Work) is not a magazine I regularly read but I saw a copy in a colleagues office today with an electric violin on the cover and the headline "And the bands played on... Musicians cope with new noise limits". The gist is that new regulations have come into place affecting those who work in places with high volume music. As well as bar staff, etc, that covers musicians as well whether you're wedged between a guitarist's Marshall stack and a drumer trying to wake John Bonham or sitting in an orchestral pit in front of the brass section.

This legislation has been place for other noisy environments for sometime and was actually delayed because, to quote the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), "... music is unusual, as it is noise deliberately created for enjoyment...".

Personally, I prefer my music quiet enough to listen to rather than so loud it beats me round the head and will be glad if this gradually makes "loudest band in the world" less of a title that many bands seem to strive for. More details, including plenty of further reading [url="http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/musicsound.htm"]here[/url].

Wulf[/quote]

Most of us agree with you:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16834"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16834[/url]

[Buzz]

It's pretty much just aimed at workplaces rather than punters, which is good.

[wulf]

[quote name='bremen' post='177981' date='Apr 16 2008, 02:59 PM']Most of us agree with you:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16834"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16834[/url][/quote]
Aha! I searched for the terms "health" and "safety" - I thought "noise" might turn up to many hits. Let's go and read...

Wulf

[Dubs]

I’m developing Tinnitus quite badly from playing in ridiculously loud bands, wish I knew 5 years ago what it was doing to my ears…it’s only a downward spiral once you get it apparently. Trying to get on the NHS waiting list to see an ear specialist cos my GP is less than useless when it comes to ears, so who knows when I'll find out what's happening in my ears.

I do love loud music though

[lowhand_mike]

pardon?

[Welshbassist]

Just buy some earplugs. Sure, maybe the experience isn't the same, but I'm pretty sure I'll be regretting it down the road if I don't wear them!