Free tool
Noise Exposure Risk Calculator
How much daily noise is quietly damaging your ears?
NIOSH sets a recommended daily exposure limit of 85 dBA for 8 hours. Every 3 dB increase halves the safe time — 88 dBA for 4 hours, 91 dBA for 2 hours, and so on. This tool converts your typical week into a NIOSH daily-dose score.
Your workplace noise, most days:
Frequently asked
How loud is too loud?
85 dBA for 8 hours is the NIOSH recommended limit. Every 3 dB increase halves the safe time. Concerts run 100-115 dBA — safe for 15 minutes or less without protection.
Are foam earplugs enough?
Well-inserted foam plugs give ~25-30 dB attenuation and are excellent for lawn equipment and gunfire. For concerts and music, custom musician's plugs preserve sound quality by reducing volume evenly across frequencies.
Can noise damage be reversed?
No. Once the cochlear hair cells and their synapses are damaged, they don't regenerate in humans. Prevention is the only cure. Hearing aids can partially compensate — but they can't recreate what's lost.