How long can you be around this noise without hearing protection?
Choose a situation or use the slider to set the number of decibels. You see how long you can be there each day without hearing protection, what the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) says about that level, and which filter reduces the sound enough without cutting you off from your surroundings.
Based on the rule of 85 dB(A) for 8 hours. Every 3 dB more halves the time.
This time rule does not work for bangs
A bang lasts a fraction of a second, but the peak is very high. Then what counts is not how long you are there, but how loud the peak is. That is why the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) has separate peak limits for bangs of 112, 140 and 200 Pa. That is about 135, 137 and 140 dB(C).
An estimate. We subtract the SNR and add 4 dB for real-world wear, as the British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does. Strictly speaking, the SNR belongs with a measurement in dB(C). With noise that has a lot of low frequencies, the level in your ear is higher.
This calculator gives an indication and does not replace a noise measurement or personal advice. Everyone is differently sensitive to sound, and the noise from work, hobbies and going out adds up.
Sources
The sound levels are indications. How loud it is for you depends on the distance, the room and the device. If you want to know exactly, measure it with a sound level meter.
- NIOSH (CDC), Noise-induced hearing lossRule of 85 dB(A) for 8 hours and halving the time for every 3 dB
- Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (Working Conditions Decree), article 6.8 (wetten.overheid.nl, in Dutch)Action values of 80 and 85 dB(A), limit value of 87 dB(A) and the peak limits
- Arboportaal, Wat zegt de wet over lawaai op het werk? (what the law says about noise at work, in Dutch)The limit value applies in the ear, with hearing protection
- VeiligheidNL, Wat is te hard? (what is too loud, in Dutch)Occupational standard of 80 decibels and the leisure standard
- HSE, Controlling noise at work, L108 (PDF)4 dB for real-world use and the target of 70 to 80 dB(A) at the ear
- HSE, Hearing protectionAvoiding overprotection below 70 dB at the ear
- Dynamic Ear Company, SNR per filter, as on our filter pageSNR of the DR, DM, DI and DIM filters
- Kinderopvang Werkt!, Richtlijnen verlichting, binnenklimaat en geluid (guidelines on lighting, indoor climate and noise, PDF in Dutch)Conversation and vacuum cleaner
- Stichting Hoormij, Hoe voorkom ik gehoorschade? (how to prevent hearing damage, in Dutch)Hair dryer
- Kassa (BNNVARA), Sluipende moordenaar, gehoorschade oplopen zonder het door te hebben (hearing damage without noticing it, 2019, in Dutch)Wind noise under a motorcycle helmet and a busy café
- Kassa (BNNVARA), Nooit meer een piep in je oren? 10 tips om je gehoor te beschermen (10 tips to protect your hearing, in Dutch)Power drill
- VeiligheidNL, Oordoppen zijn effectief tegen gehoorschade (earplugs are effective against hearing damage, 2016, in Dutch)Average level at a festival
- GGD GHOR Nederland, Handreiking gehoorschade jongeren bij festival- en uitgaansbezoek (guidance on hearing damage in young people at festivals and nights out, 2017, PDF in Dutch)Measured levels at festivals
- RIVM, Voortgangsrapportage Vierde Convenant Preventie Gehoorschade Versterkte Muziek 2025 (progress report on the agreement to prevent hearing damage from amplified music, in Dutch)Agreed limit of 103 dB per 15 minutes
- RIVM, Vergelijking geluidsniveau verschillende geluiden (comparison of sound levels, infographic, PDF in Dutch)Circular saw
- Valderrama, Arenas and Cardenas (2025), Noise exposure during regular practice sessions of drummers, International Journal of Acoustics and VibrationDrum kit
- Meinke et al. (2017), Prevention of noise-induced hearing loss from recreational firearms, Seminars in HearingPeak level of gunshots
- VeiligheidNL, Half miljoen volwassen Nederlanders ervaart gehoorschade na jaarwisseling (half a million Dutch adults experience hearing damage after New Year's Eve, 2023, in Dutch)Fireworks
- Rijksoverheid, Landelijk vuurwerkverbod voor consumenten dit jaar van kracht (national ban on consumer fireworks in force this year, 2026, in Dutch)Fireworks ban
How the calculator works
How long can you be around loud noise?
The calculator uses the rule of the American institute NIOSH. An average of 85 dB(A) over an eight-hour working day is the limit. Every 3 dB more is twice as much sound energy, so the time is halved.
- 85 dB(A), 8 hours
- 88 dB(A), 4 hours
- 91 dB(A), 2 hours
- 94 dB(A), 1 hour
- 97 dB(A), 30 minutes
- 100 dB(A), 15 minutes
- 103 dB(A), about 7.5 minutes
NIOSH itself notes that people differ in how sensitive they are to noise. So see the time as a guideline, not a guarantee.
A stricter calculation with 80 dB(A)
In the Netherlands, the occupational standard (Arbonorm) is based on 80 dB(A) for eight hours a day, five days a week. VeiligheidNL explains that this standard assumes forty years of work. With the stricter rule, every time is more than three times shorter. At 100 dB(A) that is less than 5 minutes instead of 15.
If you work in noise or go out often, switch on the toggle in the calculator. For noise in your free time, VeiligheidNL also mentions a leisure standard (Vrijetijdsnorm) of 88 decibels, because on average people go out for fewer years than they work.
What does the Working Conditions Decree say?
For work, the limits are in article 6.8 of the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit). They concern your daily exposure, averaged over eight hours.
- Above 80 dB(A) your employer must provide suitable hearing protectors.
- From 85 dB(A) you must also wear them.
- 87 dB(A) is the exposure limit value. It applies with the attenuation of your hearing protection included, so in your ear.
You can read more in what does the Working Conditions Act say about hearing protection at work?
How the calculator chooses a filter
The calculator subtracts the SNR of the filter from the sound level and adds 4 dB. The British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) adds those 4 dB because hearing protection attenuates less in practice than in the lab, for example when it is not fitted properly. The calculator then chooses the lightest filter that brings you to between 70 and 80 dB(A) in your ear. That target also comes from the HSE.
Lighter is better, as long as it is enough. Below 70 dB(A) in your ear, the HSE speaks of overprotection. You then hear colleagues, traffic and warning signals less well. How to read the SNR and the HML values yourself is explained in what does the SNR value on earplugs mean?
Strictly speaking, the SNR belongs with a measurement in dB(C). Because you usually only know a value in dB(A), the result is an indication. With sound that has a lot of low tones, such as a compressor or a diesel engine, the level in your ear is higher than the calculator shows.
Why you see no time for bangs
Shooting, fireworks and carbide shooting are about short bangs with a very high peak. According to a review article by Meinke and colleagues, the peak of firearms is between about 140 and 175 dB. With a bang like that, an average over the day says little. That is why the Working Conditions Decree also has separate peak limits, of 112, 140 and 200 Pa.
The DIM filter is made for bangs. It is level-dependent. You hear your surroundings and with a bang the filter attenuates extra. You can read more in hearing protection for impulse noise.
More about noise and your hearing
Want to know how decibels work, or how you can tell that noise was too loud? Read on in our Guides.
Questions about loud noise
How long can you be around 100 dB without hearing protection?
Under the rule of 85 dB(A) for 8 hours, about 15 minutes a day. If you calculate more strictly with 80 dB(A), like the Dutch occupational standard, it is less than 5 minutes. A festival is about this loud on average.
From how many decibels do you need hearing protection?
At work, your employer must offer hearing protection above 80 dB(A), and from 85 dB(A) you must wear it. These values apply as an average over a working day. The louder the noise, the shorter you can go without. At 94 dB(A), under the rule of 85 dB(A), that is about one hour a day.
Does the calculator also work for shooting and fireworks?
No. With bangs, what counts is the height of the peak and not how long you are there. That is why the calculator shows no time for shooting, fireworks and carbide shooting. The DIM filter is made for bangs and gives extra attenuation with a bang.
Is more attenuation always better?
No. If your hearing protection brings you below 70 dB(A) in your ear, you hear your surroundings and warning signals less well. So choose the lightest filter that brings you to between 70 and 80 dB(A).