Loud clubs pose hearing risks for workers: study
Dublin – Exposure to noise could put nightclub workers at risk for hearing loss, finds a study from the Dublin Institute of Technology.
Researchers measured noise exposure at nine clubs in Ireland by placing a sound-level meter at the bar near the dance floor and a dosimeter on two employees’ shirts. The average exposure was 92 dBA, researchers found. Over time, noise exposure greater than 85 dBA for eight hours per day can lead to permanent hearing loss, study author Aoife Kelly, a researcher at the Dublin Institute of Technology, said in a press release.
Interviews with club managers indicated employees were not given hearing tests or noise information, although two clubs provided hearing protection.
The study was published online Aug. 18 in the journal Noise & Health.
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