Pseudo-intellectual bully with a sound level meter

[Jack Arnott]

Re: Pseudo-intellectual bully with a sound level meter

Activism. Tell someone else what they should be doing, and complain when it is not done. No skin in the game = no responsibility. Punter.
At least he is on record that he does not have time or energy to help, but will be there anyway.

slacktivism

 

[Ivan Beaver]

Re: Pseudo-intellectual bully with a sound level meter

No. You can start with the simple aspect that OSHA addresses A-weighted, slow response levels, so not 90dB and 115dB but 90dB(SPL, A-weighted, slow response) and 115dB(SPL, A-weighted, slow response). More important, OSHA only addresses 8 hour periods and the referenced chart is indicating the associated levels and periods to be used in calculating the total 8 hour dose when you have varying levels over that 8 hour period (and which is why a dosimeter is really the only appropriate tool for such applications). In other words, you have to comply with all the criteria for longer periods including the total 8 hour dose, which with 115dBA for 15 minutes essentially means you used up all the allowable exposure in 15 minutes and must have no significant exposure for the rest of the 8 hour measurement period. Also note that chart is for the 90dBA exposure action levels and not for the 85dBA exposure associated with having to initiate a hearing conservation program. And finally, nothing in OSHA restricts the source levels, it is all about the exposure levels and active options to reduce exposure such as required use of personal hearing protection along with administrative options such as limiting the time of exposure are common approaches for compliance - and also much more practical in the work place environment for which it is intended to be applied.

I think the gentlemen involved is common in that he misses the big picture in what OSHA and NIOSH are addressing and trying to do, which is addressing long term effects of repeated exposure in the work place. Not only are the attendees not your or the city's employees but you do not have the control over their exposure that an employer has over their employees. You can't make attendees wear hearing protection or limit their exposure time and that is really what OSHA and NIOSH address, not limiting the source levels.

I also don't know how he can expect the "band leaders" to have the bands play 20dB lower in response to children "being present", whatever that means. Maybe Bill can take responsibility for keeping all children a sufficient distance away or making sure they all use hearing protection.

Etymotic Research ETY ER20 plugs are like $9 to $12, probably less in bulk and custom plugs much more, I have no idea where he came up with a $30 number unless maybe he is trying to sell something.

I think Bill may be well intentioned but seems likely to have obtained much of his information from rather biased sources as perhaps shown with references like the "...(sometimes suicidal) persons.."

Good luck!

Very well stated. Many people don't understand where the "suggestions/regulations" come from, or what they are trying to accomplish.

As with many other things-people take a little bit of information and try to manipulate it into whatever their agenda may be. Often distorting the very thing they are trying to use as "evidence' into something that is not correct.

It is also very easy to say )turn it down when kids are present"-so HOW is this actually going to be done? I bet the bands would stop playing there really quickly.

And if it was a simple matter of the FOH person just dropping the master fader a bit-I guarantee that other people would start to complain about the changing levels.

So who is actually "in charge" of the levels?

I would not want to be the provider and then hear reviews after the event about how "XYZ sound companys" system was defective because the levels kept changing during the show..