85 – 100 decibels: For example, a hair dryer, blender, power lawn mower, forklift, or subway train. 100 – 120 decibels: For example, a bulldozer, impact wrench, or motorcycle. 120 – 140 decibels: Such as, a rock concert, auto racing, or a hammer pounding a nail.
Decibel Level
Sounds at or below 70 dBA are generally considered safe. Any sound at or above 85 dBA is more likely to damage your hearing over time. Researchers have found that people who are exposed over long periods of time to noise levels at 85 dBA or higher are at a much greater risk for hearing loss.
85 decibels is a noise or sound level equivalent to that of a food blender, heavy traffic while you are in the car, a noisy restaurant, or a cinema.
Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time may start to damage your hearing. Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears.
80 – 85 dB: An air conditioner, heavy traffic, and a lawnmower are at this level of sound. This level of sound will normally become damaging after two hours of exposure. 90 – 95 dB: A motorcycle is a good illustration of this sound level. 50 minutes is enough to be unsafe at this level of sound.
For residential environments, the accepted decibel level is lower. Any noise exceeding 70 dB is considered disturbing. Residential limits usually start at 60 or 55 dB (the equivalent noise of a regular vacuum cleaner).
You can listen to sounds at 70 dBA or lower for as long as you want. Sounds at 85 dBA can lead to hearing loss if you listen to them for more than 8 hours at a time. Sounds over 85 dBa can damage your hearing faster. The safe listening time is cut in half for every 3-dB rise in noise levels over 85 dBA.
A gunshot is typically around 140 to 190 decibels. In comparison, a jet taking off is approximately 150 decibels. Decibels measure the intensity of sound. The higher the number, the louder the sound and the more damaging it can be to your hearing.
Loud appliances such as a vacuum cleaner or power tools could exceed 80 dB. Human screams can be quite loud, possibly exceeding 100 dB (as of March 2019, the world record is 129 dB!) —but you probably want to avoid that because screams that loud can hurt your ears!
As a basic guide, venues with sound limiters set at 95 decibels or preferably higher are pretty live music-friendly and won't hamper a live wedding band or entertainer too much. For example, our rock and indie wedding band League of Gentlemen (above) perform within 95 decibels or higher all the time.
However, the noise levels of vacuum cleaners fall between 75dB to 85dB. Thus, continuous exposure to such noise levels affect a user's health while also being a sign and source of inefficiencies in the equipment.
Snoring levels vary between and within a single individual. The mean peak levels of snoring recorded are between 50 and 65 decibels. Snoring could reach high noise-level in the range of 80-90 decibel that matches the decibel levels of a vacuum cleaner.
Here is how loud a gunshot is in decibels on average:
Shotgun gunshot: 155 dB.
Car horn: 110 decibels. Nightclub: 110 decibels. Ambulance siren: 112 decibels.
Sound is measured in units called decibels. Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA) are generally safe. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss.
Average Decibel Level of Human Speech
On the other hand, a human scream can reach decibel levels between 80 and 125 dB.
Audio devices and mobile phones including iPhone have a sound level of 100 dB or louder. iPhones can produce a maximum of 115 decibels (software limits European iPods to 100 dB; U.S. models have been measured higher), the equivalent of attending a rock concert amplification.
“The F/A-18 Super Hornet produces 118 decibels of noise, which is the equivalent of a rock concert,” Schrock said. “A reduction of four decibels would have a significant impact on noise issues related to our military aircraft.” The technology also may have applications in commercial aviation, Seiner said.
The grenade is thrown and explodes after a roughly 1.5-second delay. The explosion of magnesium-based pyrotechnic chemicals causes a very bright flash and a loud sound (160−180 decibels), which can cause temporary blindness, temporary loss of hearing and loss of balance, as well as a sense of panic.
As we discuss above, the general consensus among experts is that an environmental noise level of 85 dBA is considered reasonably safe for only an hour of listening, so it's important for your child to take listening breaks if they tend to listen at the maximum allowed volume.
It is important, though, to get into positive habits by ensuring that the volume stays below 60% of the volume. If you find it creeping up to over two-thirds of the volume control or over 60%, then it is too much for your ears.
The outside of aircraft engines (around 140 dB at takeoff) and conditions on other aircraft may have higher or lower noise levels.