Christchurch to go quiet for one minute on 14 Oct

Christchurch to go quiet for one minute on 14 October
Media release 9 September 2009

Christchurch going quiet for one minute on Wednesday the 14th of October in the hope of raising awareness about the dangers of hearing loss is the aim of organisers of the city’s first Hearing Awareness Day on October 14.

“We want to raise awareness and remove the stigma of hearing loss and educate the public about noise induced hearing loss,” Christchurch Hearing Association President Bob Abbott said.

Organisers of the day say there is a big difference between hearing loss and being deaf and differentiating between the two is important.

“Excessive every-day noise affects hearing and physical and mental health,” Abbott said. “We are going to ask Christchurch to be quiet for one minute at 12.15pm on Wednesday 14 October – it’s our S.O.S call, our sound of silence, and it’s vital it is heard now so the damage can be stopped.”

Organisers will be joined in Cathedral Square for the countdown to 12.15pm by National MP and central city resident Nicky Wager and Deputy Mayor Norm Withers.

“Hearing loss is becoming an epidemic as we are living in an increasingly noisy world with everything from noisy work places to iPods and MP3 players putting people at risk, often without people even realising the dangers,” Abbot said.

He stresses that noise is unwanted sound. “It is not uncommon for people to be listening to their devices at 110 to 120 decibels – the equivalent to measures that have been made at rock concerts and loud enough to cause hearing loss after only an hour and 25 minutes, and we all know that a lot of people listen to their music all day long.”

“It is pollution and a real hazard to human health and hearing and has psychological and social implications and really affects our well being and quality of life.”

But public awareness of the hazardous effects of noise is low so The Christchurch hearing Association have declared the middle Wednesday in October as Hearing Awareness Day for the city.

Organisers hope that by observing 60 seconds of no noise at 12:15pm the reduction of everyday noises will raise awareness of the impact noise has on health and hearing.

“We just don’t realise how noisy things are and the impact it has – we really hope people will hear the difference on the 14th of October at 12.15pm and that it will a positive impact on raising awareness about hearing loss and its causes.”

ENDS

Editors notes
The National Foundation for the Deaf commissioned the survey earlier this year on what noises New Zealanders find most annoying and could be making them ill physically or mentally.
The most annoying noises were:
1 Boy racer exhausts
2 Barking dogs
3 Car alarms
4 Snoring
5 Neighbours' stereo noise
6 Neighbours' DIY noise
7 Neighbours' lawnmowers
8 Other people's mobile phones
9 Planes
10 Rubbish trucks
11 Babies crying
12 Body noises including coughing and humming
Noise Levels
Both the amount of noise and the length of time you are exposed to the noise determine its ability to damage your hearing. Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB). The higher the decibel level, the louder the noise. Sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially hazardous. The noise chart below gives an idea of average decibel levels for everyday sounds around you.
Painful
150 dB = rock music peak
140 dB = firearms, air raid siren, jet engine
130 dB = jackhammer
120 dB = jet plane take-off, amplified rock music at 4-6 ft., car stereo, band practice

Extremely Loud
110 dB = rock music, model airplane
106 dB = timpani and bass drum rolls
100 dB = snowmobile, chain saw, pneumatic drill
90 dB = lawnmower, shop tools, truck traffic

Very Loud
80 dB = alarm clock, busy street
70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner
60 dB = conversation, dishwasher

Moderate
50 dB = moderate rainfall
40 dB = quiet room

Faint
30 dB = whisper, quiet library

Warning Signs of Hazardous Noise
• You must raise your voice to be heard
• You can't hear someone two feet away from you
• Speech around you sounds muffled or dull after leaving a noise area
• You have pain or ringing in your ears (tinnitus) after exposure to noise.