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Earmuffs for music teachers

School music teachers have been warned to wear earmuffs or stand behind noise screens to protect their hearing. The Health and Safety Executive issued the recommendations after learning that beginners tend to blast away much louder than professionals.

According to the Daily Mail, the most potentially deafening instrument is the cornet, with just one blast being enough to cause permanent ear damage. Standing in the direct fire of instruments such as the flute, oboe and saxophone can apparently become risky after just 15 minutes. [Really? The flute?]

When officials visited a school, they found that noise in a cornet lesson hit 140 decibels. In comparison, a pneumatic drill makes a 100-decibel sound and 140 decibels equates to a plane taking off.

A school that allows staff to be exposed to the cornet without protection would likely be in breach of noise regulations, the HSE warns. To avoid overexposure, teachers can stand behind screens, ensure they do not stand in the line of fire of an instrument or, as a last resort, wear ear protectors.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .