How many sound engineers wear ear-plugs?

Letter to the Editor

I'm a regular reader of L&SI and always read the 'On Tour' section. Occasionally the writer comments on the dB levels from his position (which I assume is usually front-of-house) and when mentioned, I recall it is often above 100dBA during the show.

I am a freelance live sound engineer and I've always been very protective of my ears, but I've never worn ear plugs whilst mixing live, since I thought it best if I heard what the audience was hearing. Recently, I think I have begun to experience the beginnings of tinnitus in both ears. Maybe I've been naive or foolish in expecting this not to happen, but I have always been very careful to mix at a comfortable level for me at FOH (which seems to be around 100dBA, slow).

I've never seen any other FOH engineers wear ear-plugs whilst mixing a show, nor have I read or heard of any FOH engineers wearing them whilst at work. Do professional engineers wear ear plugs whilst mixing? Does exposing your ears to 100dBA on a nightly basis negatively affect one's hearing, or do engineers regularly wear some sort of hearing protection?

Name withheld

Replies:

• Ron Bonner, PLASA's technical resources office
• Steve Moles, Lighting&Sound International contributor
• Julian Knight-Jones, Front of House Productions
• George Webb, Sound Engineer

Ron Bonner, PLASA's technical resources officer, replies:

This is a very good question and one that I suspect has been asked, if only of themselves, by other sound engineers.

Since last year, sound levels from a performance - any type of performance in the entertainment industry - will be regarded by UK law as noise at work for those people at the venue. Not just the production and performers but the venue staff such as security, stewards and bar staff etc (not the audience - they're not 'at work').

The exposure levels set out by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 at which employers must provide hearing protection and hearing protection zones is now 85dB(A) - referenced over a Time Weighted Average (TWA) of eight hours or a weekly average exposure - and 80dB(A) is the level at which employers must assess the risk to workers from noise and provide them with information and training on how to protect themselves from noise exposure.

There is also an exposure limit value of 87dB(A), which can take into account any reduction in exposure provided by hearing protection, above which workers must not be exposed. And yet, sound engineers will be regularly seen at the desk, night after night for a couple of hours or more, being exposed to noise in and around the 100dB(A) level without any protection at all. And, it is important to remember that the duration of exposure to noise is as important as the level of the sound. The levels used in the Regulations take into consideration medical advice which suggests that exposure above these levels will, over a matter of time, cause hearing loss and conditions such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or hyperacusis (noise sensitivity).

There is a rule of thumb that for every 3dB above the 87dB limit you are exposed to you should halve the allowed exposure time. So using that equation, exposure to 90dB would be safe for 4 hours, 93dB for 2 hours and so on. For 99dB your safe exposure time should be just 30 minutes a day. There is a useful noise exposure "ready reckoner" on the HSE's (Health and Safety Executive) website (www.hse.gov.uk/noise/dailyexposure.pdf) which at a glance can tell you your daily exposure. Given our estimated 100dB exposure at an estimated exposure time of 2-2.5 hours daily (with sound checks etc this will probably be far longer), the HSE's chart says that at these levels a daily exposure of 94dB will be received over a TWA of 8 hours, which is 7dB above the level at which it is believed damage to hearing will occur. This, however, does not take into account the noise you are exposed to for the rest of the day, which would cause this figure to rise.

Herein lies another problem. How can noise induced hearing loss be pinpointed as a result of one distinct noise source? We are exposed to noise constantly. I am aware of a recent noise survey which used a 24-hour noise measurement programme to look at a range of venue workers and their exposure to noise: what troubled the researchers was that one candidate showed a huge spike on his exposure at around 6pm for about 45 minutes. It transpired that this was when he had left work and was traveling home in his car listening to his CD player. However, on the balance of probabilities (and that is what a civil court would base a decision on) exposure to 100dB for 2- 3 hours a day would, I suggest, be the prime candidate for causing the damage.

For the industry, one way to see if these problems are manifesting themselves is for sound engineers (and others) to undergo regular hearing tests to measure how their hearing is coping with the exposure it regularly faces. The trouble with this is that it is only accurate if the subject undergoes testing before the start of their career to gauge their personal baseline.

How do you, as a freelance sound engineer, control this and reduce your exposure levels? Actually, let me re-phrase that: how do the production companies reduce this? It is, after all, they that are responsible for the health, safety and welfare of all those persons working on the production - including the freelance sound engineer. Ear protection (personal protective equipment - PPE) should be seen as the last resort in normal cases but for this type of environment it would appear to be the first port of call. In truth, most cases of noise problems have employers reaching for ear defenders instead of trying to reduce the noise.

The Regulators and audiologists would advocate that there are other ways of reducing the noise before resorting to PPE and this is a fair comment but unless audiences start to accept lower volumes at a live gig and artists are prepared to alter their volume levels (no 11 on the amp!) then this type of control seems a long way away. Until then, noise reduction through ear plugs or IEM (in ear monitoring) will be a way forward but I'm sure there will be those of you who earn your living as sound engineers compiling a list of reasons why this will be difficult to apply. In most of the literature I have read the emphasis seems to be on the performers and not the technical staff when talking about protection.

I don't know of any engineers who wear ear protection and I have been to a few gigs recently at which the noise was definitely above the limit value of the new regulations. Standing next to the sound engineer at a recent gig (I won't mention the band) in the Bournemouth International Conference Centre a few months back and having my clothes resonating to the bass was a clear indicator of the levels at FOH being above the new noise levels. If there are any engineers out there who have implemented a protection programme for themselves and others, I and L&SI would like to hear from you and find out how you are coping - I dare say others interested in this subject will also be interested in your approach. I think it's only a matter of time before a local authority decides to take some form of action regarding this issue and in truth it won't be difficult for them to go for it. Even a cheap noise meter held by an Environmental Health officer standing in the audience will give a fairly accurate idea that there is a problem.

The HSE has a section of its website devoted to noise in the entertainment industry called Sound Advice. It includes case studies and other useful information, such as the availability of uniform attenuation (flat response) earplugs, which allow the wearer to hear evenly across all frequencies and should, in theory, be suitable for musicians and sound engineers alike.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/musicsound.htm

Ron Bonner, PLASA TRO

PLASA's Technical Resources Office (TRO) supports and advises the PLASA membership on a wide variety of technical issues including International, European and National technical standards along with Environmental and Health and Safety legislation. The PLASA TRO provides advice and guidance on the regulatory and technical developments likely to affect PLASA members and their businesses on a daily basis.

Steve Moles, Lighting&Sound International contributor

I do see sound engineers wear ear plugs, but only rarely. This engineer makes a very good point and there is little doubt that some of the old boys out on the road these days suffer from lack of hearing sensitivity, especially at the higher frequencies.

Tinnitus appears to be an indiscriminate affliction; sustained loud noise may indeed trigger it, but there are plenty of cases where people with no exposure to such things still suffer the condition.

The measurements I give in my reports aren't as much cause for concern as it may seem. I take random samples throughout the concert; the measurements I make are dBA Slow. I record the Peaks, and usually during the stronger numbers. What's important is Level vs Time or LEQ, which is the measurement the noise monitoring people take; i.e. levels may easily exceed a recommended 100dBA, so long as is it's transitory. I forget the exact regulation, but what's permissible is something like 90 seconds above this level in every 10 minute sample - that sort of thing.

As regards using ear protection when mixing, there are very good relatively neutral plugs available that attenuate fairly equally across all frequencies, thus allowing the wearer to make allowances to the mix in a rational fashion. Ear defenders for shooters by comparison, would be a trickier adjustment, as these work mainly on the upper frequencies - but they are much cheaper.

Julian Knight-Jones, Front of House Productions

I have always used ear protection when on a show right back to the days when I was mixing in clubs & was a runner on tours. Over the last 10 years or so I have settled on the method of not wearing plugs when mixing, but always wearing them if I am babysittiing another engineer or am present when another band soundchecks.

I regularly take both LEQs and on the spot level checks when requested by the venue or local council as well as taking the time to satisify myself that I am doing myself as little harm as possible.

I want to still have my hearing when I'm 60 and it makes sense to me to take reasonable precautions. The recent changes in the law, if enforced, would make life safer for everyone working an event, but will leave people disappointed by not having the experience of a live concert. Volume is not everything, especially when mixing jazz, world music or classical, but rock & roll is as much a sensory experience as a show, and that includes the expectation of high sound levels. Mixed intelligently and carefully, you can still deliver a mix in excess of 100dBA whilst ensuring that the audience receive the show they have come to expect and doing as little damage as possible. It is true that many factors combine to give a person their daily exposure levels, but the one and a half hours at a gig is where they will receive a high proportion of that exposure and the engineer who understands how a room behaves when you add reinforcement and spends more time during set-up to ensure the system is clean, transparent & free from distortion will do less damage to the audience member and give them a show they will remember.

George Webb, Sound Engineer

Has anyone ever heard (no pun intended) about how to IMPROVE your hearing - as opposed to simply minimize its degradation? I believe you can, just as with any damage to your body that is not beyond a certain irreparable state. Several things, similar to what you’d do with any organ - protect it and let it rest sometimes, perfect your nutrition and intake so that your body can properly and optimally run itself, and carefully exercise your ear systems.Earplugs plus earmuffs are awesome to wear together when you have nothing important to listen to, like while sleeping or soldering. I believe reducing noise floor from typical (75db?) down to the 50s using PPEs is highly rejuvenative, like an ear nap, immediately noticeable afterwards. Alkaline foods I’m told are best for energy and optimisation, although they’re rather uncommon on tour. Exercise: cranial massage, light vibrations around the aural regions, and I believe even extreme SPLs can be therapeutic - if your body and ears are in good shape. Be your own bio-aural engineering therapist!Please let me know if you have heard (!) of or experienced anything relevant.

Sound Engineers, Monitor Engineers, Lighting Designers & Operators:

Have you suffered hearing damage? Do you use hearing protection? Have you used linear attenuation ear plugs? Have you received advice on hearing protection from employers? Have you ever considered your exposure to noise levels in the work place?

We'd like to hear from you.