Preventing health effects from environmental noise

Preventing health effects from environmental noise

Description

Precautions when listening to music

Choice of sound toys for children (0 to 3 years old)

Neighborhood noise prevention

Environmental noise complaint

For more information

Description

Environmental noise can be the cause of many health problems. There is no way to tell how sensitive your ears are to noise for more information on noise-related health problems, see the Effects of environmental noise on the health page.

Precautions when listening to music

Listening to music at too high a volume can be harmful to hearing. Here are some things you can do to prevent hearing loss while listening to music:

Choose the lowest possible listening volume. The volume is too high if someone 1 meter away from you is forced to shout for you to understand what they are saying.

Limit the time you spend listening to loud music.

Protect yourself when you are in a place where music plays at a noise level which is harmful to hearing, for example, if you are forced to shout to make yourself understood by people who are within 1 meter. For example, you can ask to turn the volume down, move away from the sound source, or put on earplugs.

Allow a period of calm for several hours, without noisy activities, to allow your ears to recover, especially if you have temporary hearing loss. The longer the duration and intensity of the noise exposure, the longer the duration of the ear rest.

Consult a doctor or audiologist if temporary hearing loss continues beyond the next day or if tinnitus persists.

Choice of sound toys for children (0 to 3 years old)

Good hearing is important for language acquisition and children's development. Some toys emit very loud sounds, which can reach up to 100 dBA. These toys can be harmful to hearing in children.

Parents and child care workers should:

choose toys that produce little noise or whose volume can be adjusted;

pay special attention to toys that run on batteries because they are often noisy;

supervise the use of sound toys to prevent children from carrying them too close to their ears.

Neighborhood noise prevention

Neighborhood noise has direct consequences on your quality of life and that of your neighbors.

For a more pleasant neighborhood sound environment, it is always best to avoid making too much noise at any time of the day. Everyone is responsible for reducing the noise they produce, both inside and outside their home or house. Respect for the neighborhood is important. You can contribute to this, for example, by lowering the volume of your music or television and by using noisy household appliances. You can also limit the noise caused by your animals to prevent them from disturbing your neighbors. Outside, take care to use quieter devices outside of quiet and sleep hours.

Many municipalities have noise by-laws, particularly regarding the hours allowed for outdoor work. You can contact your municipality to find out about the regulations in force.

Environmental noise complaint

It is possible to complain about environmental noise. For more information, visit the Services Québec website. This link will open in a new window.