Driving Convertibles Is Bad for Hearing Oct 16, 2009
A new study recorded noise levels in convertibles being driven at 50 to 70 mph on a par with construction sites and nearing the volume of an ear-pounding pneumatic drill. Wind noise, driving speed, road surface and traffic congestion all contributed to the ear-splitting volume. (Newsmax)
Convertible drivers at risk of hearing loss Oct 7, 2009
According to a research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting EXPO, in San Diego, CA, cruising with the top down at speeds of 50-70mph (80-112km/h) exposes the ears to sound levels sometimes nearing those made by a pneumatic drill. The prospective study of the convertible-driving experience measured noise levels at speeds of 50, 60, and 70 miles per hour (mph), and indicated that drivers are consistently exposed to... (India Times, India)
Convertibles 'bad for the ears' Oct 7, 2009
Cruising with the top down at speeds of 50-70mph (80-112km/h) exposes the ears to sound levels sometimes nearing those made by a pneumatic drill, they argue ... Noise levels A quiet room at night - 20 decibels An ordinary spoken conversation - 60 decibels A busy street - 70 decibels Shouting - 80 decibels A pneumatic drill - 110 decibels Aircraft taking off - 130 decibels Source: The Royal National Institute for Deaf People. (BBC News -- Health)
Workers return Sep 9, 2009
All are dressed in the clothes of their trade and some have even brought their pneumatic drills with them. Others have small, painted signs by their feet, listing their skills. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
'Beach' in the city offers respite for ordinary Parisians Aug 4, 2009
Roads aren't blocked, there's no traffic, no pneumatic drills. Unlike the grand plage on the Seine a river restricted to commercial boats the basin is useable for recreation. (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
Quiet Please: Will Tennis Pros Give Up the Grunt? Jun 22, 2009
Armed with a Bruel sound-level meter that they refer to as the "grunt-o-meter," they have at various times informed readers that tennis players are noisier than a pneumatic drill, a police siren, or a 747 taking off. But at this year's Wimbledon, grunting will be put under more serious scrutiny: officials have confirmed that they will be meeting to discuss whether to make loud exhalations during play illegal. (Time.com)
* NIA busts specialty prostitution ring Apr 3, 2009
For example, one commercial shows a woman dressed in a low-cut white top and hot pants using a pneumatic drill. The phenomenon, said Hu, has most likely stirred up a fetish among Taiwanese men for women with big breasts and young-looking faces. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Man charged in airplane break-in Mar 4, 2009
Police say Fike was intoxicated and carrying two bags containing cold-weather gear, a seat belt and an assortment of tools, including a pneumatic drill and wrenches. Backtracking on Fike's tracks, police discovered he had approached 17 aircraft that night and broken into at least one of them, police said. (Anchorage Daily News)
An inauspicious start for what was to become a world masterpiece Mar 2, 2009
"That was the cue for six workmen with pneumatic drills and a large bulldozer to theatrically start preparing the site.". As the 400 invited guests moved to an adjoining lawn for official speeches, the police band struggled to be heard above the clatter of machinery. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
iPod Safety: Are Your Earphones Causing Hearing Loss? Feb 21, 2009
So the Cupertino-based company revised its software to set the maximum volume at 100 dB (the equivalent of standing next to a pneumatic drill) for devices sold in Europe. Portnuff says certain devices sold in the U.S. can reach beyond 100 dB, however; some have recorded levels as high as 115 dB, as loud as a chainsaw or rock concert. (Time.com)
Bill limits use of leaf blowers in Hawaii neighborhoods Feb 16, 2009
100: Snowmobile, chain saw, pneumatic drill. 90: Lawnmower, shop tools, subway. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Say what? Welcome to our ever-louder lives Feb 8, 2009
A leaf-blower in front of a fast-food joint (96 - equivalent to a pneumatic drill). Trucks thundering down Buford Highway (86 - almost the level of a train whistle). (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
