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The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

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226 Mayor of <strong>London</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong> Mayor’s <strong>Ambient</strong> <strong>Noise</strong> <strong>Strategy</strong><br />

A3 typical noise levels and indicative<br />

noise reductions<br />

Table 9 below shows approximate sound pressure levels for some typical<br />

noises. <strong>The</strong>re is a very large variation around any of the following figures.<br />

In practice, environmental noise levels are continuously changing through<br />

time. More details would normally be specified for figures used in noise<br />

control practice.<br />

Table 9<br />

Typical noise levels<br />

<strong>Noise</strong> source/situation Sound Pressure Typical subjective description<br />

Level in dB(A)<br />

30 m from military jet at take-off 140 Painful, intolerable<br />

Pop concert, near stage 105<br />

Night club (typical locations within) 100 Extremely noisy<br />

Pneumatic drill, at 7 m 95<br />

Powered lawnmower at operator’s ear,<br />

Older diesel lorry from footway 90 Very noisy<br />

Ringing alarm clock at 1m 80<br />

Car or light van at 60 km/h from 7m 75<br />

Domestic vacuum cleaner at 3 m,<br />

Telephone ringing at 2 m 70 Noisy<br />

Busy general office (typical locations within) 60<br />

Normal conversation at 1 m 55-60<br />

Boiling kettle at 0.5 m 50<br />

Refrigerator humming at 2 m 40<br />

British Museum Reading Room 35<br />

Bedroom in quiet area with windows shut 20-30 Very quiet<br />

Remote rural location with no<br />

specifically identifiable sound 20<br />

Threshold of hearing 0 Uncanny silence<br />

source: Various, including Draft Technical Guidance Note IPPC H3, Part 2, October 2001<br />

and ‘Bothered by <strong>Noise</strong>’ DETN/2, DETR (now DEFRA), 2001<br />

Summary of indicative noise reductions<br />

<strong>The</strong> following noise reductions are indicative only, and should be treated<br />

with considerable caution. <strong>The</strong>y may be regarded as typical ‘rule of<br />

thumb’ assumptions, and are conservative. <strong>The</strong>y are expressed as<br />

reductions over typical existing situations; in practice, of course, such<br />

situations can differ.

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