Press Release: Consumers: EU acts to limit health risks from exposure to noise from personal music players

Consumers will benefit from new default settings on personal music players set at safe exposure levels, as well clear warnings on the adverse effects of excessive exposure to high sound levels, following a decision by the European Commission on 26 September 2009. In October 2008, the EU Scientific Committee SCENIHR 1, warned that listening to personal music players at a high volume over a sustained period can lead to permanent hearing damage. 5-10% of listeners risk permanent hearing loss. These are people typically listening to music for over 1 hour a day at high volume control settings. It is estimated that up to 10 million people in the EU may be at risk. The European Commission today sent a mandate to CENELEC (the EU standardisation body) requiring new technical safety standards to be drawn up.

European Commission: SPEECH/09/414: Personal music players – preventing hearing damage http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/414&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: MEMO/09/418: Questions and answers on the mandate for new safety standards for personal music players http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/418&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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