Health & Safety
SEDA takes Health & Safety for it’s members very seriously. All the latest news relating to Health & Safety will be posted into our Blog, but for now here are a number of articles you might find interesting.
Sound Advice has been produced by a working group of industry stakeholders with support from the Health and Safety Executive. Sound Advice contains practical guidelines on the control of noise at work in music and entertainment. Representatives of music and entertainment industries together with Environmental Health Officers and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prepared the guidance.
On this site you will find out what you can do to avoid the harmful effects of prolonged exposure to noise – for yourself and for the people you employ or work with.
For more information, please visit the Sound Advice Website.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, humming, or whistling sound. It can be intermittent or it can be continuous. In the latter case, this can cause much distress to the sufferer. A video has been produced by the RNID in association with MOS-TV which we have added to our website below. If you would like information on this condition and how it could affect you, please visit this Wikipedia page.
Noise At Work Regulations
Exposure to levels above 85db require everyone in the room who is there working( DJ, bar staff & venue staff ) to wear hearing protection. Noise level is measured at the DJ position, if no other staff in the room. Noise level measured at both DJ position and at bar or staff positions, if in the same room.
Freelance DJ’s are responsible for obtaining their own hearing protection and using it. Venues employing DJ’s directly will need to supply DJ’s with hearing protection and make sure it is worn. Agencies, and DJ’s employing DJ’s will need to supply hearing protection for them all individually, and make sure it is worn.
Keep a record of volume levels, measured at DJ position and on dancefloor, at intervals throughout the gig (use c-weighting setting).
For more informatiom please read the following press release.
Hearing Protection
Back in January 2008, Richard from Sensorcom demonstrated a range of earplugs for DJ’s which also included custom-fit plugs. He offered guidance on protecting your own hearing and also advice on how to avoid Tinnitus.
- Use good quality headphones with good outside noise isolation.
- Keep the sound clean and distortion to an absolute minimum.
- Keep your speakers away from the DJ position to reduce noise levels.
- Use earplugs with at least 30db attenuation for maximum protection. Put them in at least half an hour before performance for acclimatisation.
Hearing Damage to DJs
In a recent forum poll (which unfortunately has since been deleted) over half the DJs who answered the poll indicated that they have damaged hearing from their work. It is absolutely imperitive that DJs take steps to protect their hearing.
The RNID run a very useful informative site telling us about all of the dangers and how to deal with them. Click on the image above or visit the Don’t Lose The Music website.
Risk Assessments
The Myth: Risk assessments must always be long and complex. The reality on its own, paperwork never saved anyone. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself – action is what protects people. So risk assessments should be fit for purpose and acted upon. OK, if you’re running an oil refinery you’re going to need a fair amount of paperwork. But for most, bullet points work very well indeed.
See what we mean – check out our example risk assessments on the HSE Website.