Recommended actions are available for specific noise sources and do not cover all potentially important noise exposures.
Improve the choice of appropriate tyres and road surface (A) (2).
Transport, land use planning
National, community
Regulation, infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.VR.ZZ&UGU#CPC Group 361
Reducing noise emissions
Motor vehicles
Rubber tyres and tubes
UBJ.VR.ZZ&UGU#ISIC Group 421
Reducing noise emissions
Motor vehicles
Construction of roads and railways
UBJ.WJ.ZZ&UEH
Policy change in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
Reduce traffic flow and restrict truck traffic (A) (2).
Transport Land use planning
National, community
Regulation, taxes and subsidies, infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.TK.ZZ&UEH
Public facilities or infrastructure in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
UBJ.WI.QE&UEH
Restrictions through enforcement of laws or standards in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
Insulate dwellings, construct barriers (B) (2).
Housing, land use planning
National, community
Regulation, taxes and subsidies, infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.TM.ZZ&UAM
Environmental modification to influence sound
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings, unspecified
UBJ.WJ.ZZ&UAM
Policy change in relation to sound
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings, unspecified
UBJ.WI.ZZ&UAL
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to sound
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
UBJ.TK.ZZ&UEH#ISIC Class 4921
Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
Urban and suburban passenger land transport
Construct road tunnels (C) (2).
Transport, land use planning
National, community
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.TK.ZZ&UEH#ISIC Class 4921
Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
Urban and suburban passenger land transport
Design/make available a “quiet side” in the dwelling; create nearby green space (D) (2).
Housing, land use planning
National, community
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.TM.ZZ&UAM
Environment modification to influence sound
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings, unspecified
UBJ.TK.ZZ&UED
Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to sound
Open space planning services, systems and policies
Apply rail grinding procedures to remove deformations and corrosions on railway tracks (A) (2).
Transport
National, community
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.TK.ZZ&UEH#ISIC Group 421
Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to sound
Transportation services, system and policies
Construction of roads and railways
Inform the community about interventions being implemented to potentially reduce noise annoyance (E) (2).
Health Environment Transport
Community
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UBJ.VB.ZZ#ISIC Group 491
Awareness raising concerning sound
Transport via railways
Adapt opening and closing of runways (C) (2).
Transport
National, community
Regulation, other management, and control
UBJ.WI.ZZ&UEH#ISIC Division 51
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
Air transport
Rearrange flight paths (C) (2).
Transport
National, community
Regulation, other management and control
UBJ.WJ.ZZ&UEH#ISIC Division 51
Policy change in relation to sound
Transportation services, systems and policies
Air transport
Implement sound exposure monitoring (volume level and time spent listening) in all personal listening devices to allow for self- control with reference to a standard. In every listening device, the user should be allowed to select two different operational modes of reference exposure (6), and track the percentage of exposure used vs the reference exposure for every seven days. The two operational modes include the following.
· Mode 1: WHO standard level for adults
· Mode 2: WHO standard level for sensitive users (e.g. children).
Health, Sports and leisure
National
Regulation, infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.WI.ZZ&UGT
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to sound
Electronic products
Implement options for volume limitation and parental volume control in every device (6).
Sports and leisure
National
Regulation, infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBJ.WI.ZZ&UGT
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to noise
Electronic products
Enact and enforce legislation/regulations/policies for limiting sound levels and exposure in entertainment venues and events such as clubs, bars, fitness centres,concerts, etc.(3, 7). Legislation should focus on:
• limiting sounds to 100 dB(A) averaged over 15 minutes;
• conducting regular sound monitoring to ensure and document compliance;
• optimizing venue acoustics and sound system design to ascertain optimal listening conditions for all audience members in the venue/event;
• create quiet zones allowing audience members to rest;
• ensuring provision of hearing protection (earplugs);
• ensuring provision of training on noise reduction strategies and information about noise.
Sports and Leisure
National
Regulation
UBJ.WI.ZZ#ISIC Division 93
Restrictions through enactment of laws or standards to reduce environmental noise levels
Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities
UBJ.WI.ZZ#ISIC Division 5
Enforcement of restrictions through laws or standards to reduce environmental noise levels
Food and beverage service activities
Provide information on personal sound exposure to the user of personal listening devices through the device interface or other means (6).
Health, Sports and Leisure
National
Information, education and communication
UBJ.VB.ZZ&UGT
Awareness raising concerning sound
Electronic products
UBJ.VF.ZZ&UGT
Alerting concerning sound
Electronic products
Provide personalized recommendations and cues for action for safe listening through personal listening devices, customized to a user’s listening profile through the device interface or other means (6).
Health, sports and leisure
National
Information, education and communication
UBJ.PN.ZZ&UGT
Advising about aspects of sound
Electronic products
Provide instructions on how to use safe listening features on the specific device through the device interface or other means (6).
Health, sports and leisure
National
Information, education and communication
UBJ.PM.ZZ&UGT
Education about aspects of sound
Electronic products
Provide general information on safe listening and ways to practise it through the device interface or other means (6).
Health, sports and leisure
National
Information, education and communication
UBJ.VB.ZZ&UGT
Awareness raising concerning sound
Electronic products
A: source intervention, B: Path intervention, C: New/closed infrastructure, D: Other physical intervention, E: Behaviour change intervention, as defined above under What are the levels of noise exposure we want to achieve?
• WHO 2021: WHO is developing a global standard for safe listening entertainment venues (7)
This guidance will promote safe listening among attendees of entertainment venues to mitigate their risk of hearing loss.
• WHO Regional Office for Europe 2018: Environmental noise guidelines for the European Region (2)
Results of the noise guidelines are also available as an executive summary in different languages.
• WHO/ITU 2019: Safe listening devices and systems – a WHO-ITU standard (6)
This document outlines the key features and requirements that personal audio systems must have in order to facilitate safe listening practices among users.
• WHO 2015: Make listening safe (8) This webpage provides access to advocacy material around safe listening such as infographic, poster, banner and brochure.
• WHO/ITU 2019: Toolkit for safe listening devices and systems (9)
This toolkit provides practical guidance to support countries, industry partners and civil society groups in the use and implementation of the global standard on safe listening devices and systems (ITU-T H.870) (10).
• WHO Regional Office for Europe 2012: Methodological guidance for estimating the burden of disease from environmental noise (11)
• WHO Regional Office for Europe 2011: Burden of disease from environmental noise. Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe (1)
• WHO Regional Office for Europe 2009: Night noise guidelines for Europe (12)