Investigating the effects of noise over the holiday season
We all realise that the holiday season is traditionally expensive. Yet it turns out that some of the most beloved Christmas sounds can be just as hard on the ears as the season is on your wallet!
Recently, the Cirrus Research team in the UK delved into finding out how noisy some of our favourite holiday season activities are. Their interesting findings made us smile – and we thought we’d share them with you.
Researching noise levels at a Christmas market
Cirrus Research ventured to York in the north of England, armed with a sound level meter to capture the levels of some favourite Yuletide sounds. Based on their findings, they built a Christmas list with a difference.
According to their research, the winner of the noisiest toy is a singing Santa, bellowing out an impressive 90.2dB! That’s well above the legal requirement for noise protection in the workplace.
A close second was the sound of carol singing at 90.1dB. It sounds like there were some powerful singers in this group!
The final Christmas noise Cirrus captured at the Christmas market were jingle bells, a respectable third at 76.9 dBs. We find these almost the annoying sound – but this could be the pitch.
The average ambient level at the market was 68.38dB, with the maximum level being 87.73dB (and a peak of 103.78dB). Overall, this means that it was perfectly safe to enjoy the atmosphere without having to worry about damaging your ears. However, if you find yourself situated extensively next to Santa Claus, we recommend wearing some PPE!
How noisy is the average Christmas work party?
Moving on from the Christmas market, Cirrus Research looked at the average noise level of the work Christmas party. This came in at a surprisingly quiet 89.5 dBs – although this is still well above the legal limit.
Of course, the noise level at a party is entirely dependent on variables such as the venue, activities, and guests. We feel that an Australian Christmas party would well and truly exceed this recorded English level!
Christmas table favourites, including the good old cracker and party popper, produced bangs at 81.4 and 69.2 dBs, respectively.
The top six Christmas noise levels recorded were:
- Singing Santa decoration – 90.2dB
- Carol singers – 90.1dB
- Christmas party – 89.5dB
- Christmas Cracker – 81.4dB
- Jingle bells – 76.9dB
- The ambient level at Christmas market – 68.38dB
Find out more about protecting yourself from the noise this Christmas
So there’s the surprising truth about how noisy some of our favourite Christmas items are. What should you take away from this article? Don’t stand too close to a singing Santa and Carol singers without PPE!
If you have commercial noise concerns, contact our team today on 1300 827 177.
