Sound levels / exposure

[peterdevon]

Does anyone know where to find out the legal limit of the amount of volume from a carnival float for the children on it and the passers by?

[Brian]

There isn't one.

[Simon Lewis]

Does anyone know where to find out the legal limit of the amount of volume from a carnival float for the children on it and the passers by?

 

As Brian rightly says, there isn't a legal limit per se. However, HSAW 1974 places a general duty on employers to minimise risks arising to the public from their works; the Environmental Protection Act 1990 can be used to control leisure noise, the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 can be used to control nuisance from vehicles including loudspeakers in the street; the Police Reform Act 2002 allows Police to seize vehicles which cause alarm, distress or nuisance. The Licencing Act 2003 can be used to attach conditions to a temporary event licence.

 

In reality, it will be the council who will set any limits, and these will be judged by their environmental health team - mainly to take noise nuisance into account, but also to consider what the exposure to workers would be. There is, therefore, no "legal" noise limit, but instead the council may impose restrictions based on their professional judgement.

 

Oh, all this is applicable to England and Wales - the Scots walk a different path!

 

Simon

[osal]

I was once told general rule of thumb is that the spectators can only hear your music as your float go's by after it has passed so should the music

[abbotsmike]

That's not really levels per se, could be done with tight dispersion speakers, and still be incredibly loud.

[Simon Lewis]

I was once told general rule of thumb is that the spectators can only hear your music as your float go's by after it has passed so should the music

and this doesn't protect the poor people who may be walking behind the float for quite some time...

[ramdram]

At the risk of being facetious, have you considered stuffing cotton wool in the nippers' ears. Bystanders will hear only a transitory "noise" and there will, presumably, be rather more than just your float.

 

Having said that just how loud is your float (the other floats) going to be? I would suggest that if you are "worrying" about noise levels, then seek the advice (from previous post #3) from your local authority. Better to get advice before the event than to be stopped in the street and made to reduce the sound level.

[peterdevon]

Someone on the local Carnival Association has said that the sound level must not exceed 80db but haven't specified a distance, I would of thought that as the float passes by, those close to the float will receive greater levels than 80db for a few seconds.

 

The speakers are now under the float so there isn't a problem with the children on it.

[Simon Lewis]

Peter,

 

as mentioned above, it's the council who will set and also carry out any possible noise monitoring, so although I wouldn't disagree with the figures you have quoted, it would help to know exactly what the council say (and it will be more precise than "80dB").

 

For the public processions and open air community events I have been involved with, our local council would huff and puff at first but eventually agreed on a sensible event level, and no-one ever actually came to check it. I'm sure that if we had exceeded it, or if complaints had been received it would have been a different matter.

 

Simon

[Doug Siddons]

Spoke to a friend of mine on the Somerset Carnival circuit who says there is no limit

[Simon Lewis]

Spoke to a friend of mine on the Somerset Carnival circuit who says there is no limit

 

The councils they deal with may never have stipulated a limit (particularly if levels have never been that high). However, try putting out "Monsters of Rock" levels from a carnival float and see how long they remain "limit free".

Events such as Notting Hill Carnival are allowed to be noisy, but there is considerable effort spent monitoring and controlling noise levels. In 2009 the leader of Kensington & Chelsea council had some pertinent comments to make regarding this. Noise from mobile and static street events is very much on most councils' radar. As an example, have a look at Westminster Council's discussion of noise strategy.

 

Simon