Dangerously Loud Toys

Every day, almost 140 million Americans experience noise levels that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorizes as "annoying or disruptive." (Karen A. Bilich, "Protect Your Child's Hearing," American Baby, 9 August 2001) Karen A. Bilich writes that children "are especially vulnerable to noise induced hearing loss - which often happens gradually and without pain - from overexposure to noise." (Ibid.) Almost 15 percent of children ages 6 to 17 show signs of hearing loss, according to a 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, at this time there are no federal regulations in the United States that limit the noise levels of toys. The European standard is inadequate because it sets the sound threshold too high at 115 decibels, at which an exposure of less than 30 seconds can cause hearing loss. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that prolonged exposure to sounds at 85 decibels or higher can result in hearing damage. (OSHA Noise Exposure Standard, 39 FR 23502 (as amended) section 19010.95) The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Campaign for Hearing Health also use 85 decibels as a threshold for dangerous levels of noise. The National Campaign for Hearing Health, in its Toxic Noise Guidelines, lists the following relationships between decibel levels and times of exposure: (National Campaign for Hearing Health, "Toxic Noise, Are You at Risk?"
http://www.hearinghealth.net/media/files/factsheets/toxicnoise/toxic_noise1.pdf, accessed 10 November 2002.)

• 85 decibels: Exposure over an 8-hour period cause hearing loss.
• 85-90 decibels: Exposure over 2 hours causes hearing loss.
• 90-100 decibels: Exposure over 1-2 hours causes hearing loss.
• 100-110 decibels: Exposure between 2 and 15 minutes causes hearing loss.
• 110-120 decibels: Exposure less than 30 seconds causes hearing loss
• 120 decibels: Exposure less than 30 seconds causes hearing loss.
• 130 decibels: Any exposure will result in permanent hearing loss.

Toy Survey Findings and Recommendations on Noise Hazards
With the critical assistance of a product safety investigator from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, PIRG was able to test the sound levels of toys using a decimeter microphone. The investigator visited toy stores in October 2002 and used a decimeter to obtain the decibel readings of toys and identify toys that present potential hearing loss dangers to children. With the assistance of the researcher, PIRG was able to identify toys that produce sounds louder than 95 decibels. (See Appendix 1 for examples of loud toys).

To protect children from dangerously loud toys, PIRG supports the recommendations of the League for the Hard of Hearing:

• If a toy sounds too loud for you in the store, don't buy it. Children are even more sensitive to sound than adults
• Put masking tape over the speakers of any toys you already own that are too loud. This will reduce the noise levels of the toys.
• Remove the batteries from loud toys.
• Report a loud toy to the CPSC.