Noise and sound: Protect your hearing health

On this page

• How to protect your hearing
• Protect your child's hearing
• How to check if your environment is too loud
• How to check if your headphones are too loud

How to protect your hearing

Everyday

• Turn the volume down even a little when listening to music or other audio like podcasts, audiobooks or videos:
  • at home
  • while using headphones or earbuds
  • while driving or taking public transportation
• Use earplugs or earmuffs according to the manufacturer's instructions to protect your ears when you're in noisy environments or participating in noisy activities.
• Have your ears checked in a medical clinic if you suspect a problem.

At athletic or entertainment events and venues

• Avoid sitting or standing close to loudspeakers and systems.
• Wear hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs.
• Take breaks from loud sound by going outside or moving away from the source of the sound.
• Schedule quiet time for yourself after the event to give your ears a chance to recover.

During home improvement or maintenance activities

• Read and follow manufacturer's labels and warnings on power tools and equipment.
• Wear hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs while using:
  • power tools
  • equipment like lawn mowers and gas-powered leaf blowers
• Encourage those around you to wear hearing protection while power tools and equipment are in use.

When participating in powersports or using firearms

• Wear appropriate hearing protection while driving or riding on a snowmobile, ATV, loud motorized boat or motorcycle.
• Consider wearing double the hearing protection by using earmuffs over top of earplugs while using firearms.
• Encourage passengers and people around you to wear hearing protection.

When using earbuds or headphones with your smart phone or another connected device

Keep the volume at or below 60% of your device's maximum setting. You can do this by:

• adjusting the volume limit setting on your device or headphones
• using an app that limits the maximum volume for you

You can also:

• reduce background noise in your environment if possible
• use an app to keep track of your listening habits over time

When using earbuds or headphones while gaming or playing esports

• Adjust the master volume on your gaming system.
• Check your audio settings before you play. Adjust the:
  • default volume on your game
  • sound effect volume on your game
• Take breaks or alternate between using headphones and using speakers.

When playing a musical instrument:

• Wear hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs.
  • Hearing protection designed for musicians can reduce the loudness while still allowing you to hear the music.
• Take breaks between sets in a quiet area.
• Schedule quiet time after practices and performances to rest your ears.
• Maintain appropriate distance between other musicians in group playing settings like an orchestra.

Protect your child's hearing

Children are more vulnerable to hearing damage from loud sounds and noises. They aren't as capable of protecting themselves and may accidentally be exposed to dangerous levels of sound.

You can help protect them by:

• talking to them about how sound can hurt their ears
• using apps to limit the sound on their electronic device to 70 dBA, the limit recommended for children by the World Health Organization
• buying sound limiting headphones
  • Many manufacturers make headphones for children that limit the sound that reaches their ear, no matter what the volume setting on a device is.
• having them wear hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs:
  • if they are playing a musical instrument or in a band
  • when they're at loud events and venues such as concerts, powersport shows like monster trucks, demolition derbies, motocross or car racing

Noisy toys

There are regulations that limit the volume levels on children's toys in Canada. However, you can still be mindful of how loud the toy is and how long your child is playing with it.

You can:

• limit children's use to 15 minutes a day
• set the volume control, if available, to the lowest level
• remove the batteries to eliminate the sounds from some electronic toys

If you suspect a toy is too loud, report it to Health Canada.

How to check if your environment is too loud

Your environment is too loud if:

• the sound is hurting your ears
• you use an app to check the environmental sound levels and it's consistently above 80 dB
• you or someone standing a metre away from you need to shout or yell to be heard and understood
• you hear ringing or buzzing in your ears or other sounds sound muffled after the noise goes away

How to check if your headphones are too loud

Your headphones are too loud if:

• the volume level of your device is above 60% of maximum volume
• someone sitting or standing near you can hear what you're listening to
• you receive a warning from an app used to check the volume level
  • Many smart phones have built in volume monitors that you can enable to give you warnings if you go above safe listening levels.