Sound and crowd exposure
How the Lab protects children's hearing and comfort when they perform or attend a loud public event.
Our commitments
These are policies Ras Tafari Inc. commits to. Formal board adoption is a launch requirement.
- Headphones are capped. Headphone volume is capped on every Lab laptop, in class and at events.
- Earplugs are free. Children (and parents) can have them at any time, with no need to ask twice.
- Speakers are checked with a meter. The main speaker's level is checked with a sound meter. The exact target level and where it's measured will be written into each event's plan before the first event.
- There is a no-go zone. Children stay out of the zone directly in front of the speakers, whether they are performing or watching.
- Quiet breaks. Performing children get time away from the loud area before and after their set.
- We coach a "60/60"-style habit. Children learn to keep their headphone volume low and to take breaks. The WHO guidance below is the reason.
What the experts say
World Health Organization (WHO): safe listening
- Sound below 80 dB is unlikely to damage hearing.
- The safe weekly listening time is about 40 hours at 80 dB. It drops to 4 hours at 90 dB and 20 minutes at 100 dB.
- Keep personal device volume below 60% of maximum.
- At concerts and clubs, stay away from loudspeakers, wear earplugs, and rest your ears in a quiet space for about 10 minutes every hour.
- A simple test: if you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone an arm's length away, it is too loud.
NIOSH: the workplace benchmark
- The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends limiting workplace noise to 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour workday.
- That limit was set for adult workers. Children's hearing deserves more caution, so we treat 85 dBA as an upper reference point, not a target.
How this works on event day
| Moment | What we do |
|---|---|
| Before the event | We pass on the speaker-level plan and the no-go zone to the sound crew (Q-Ality Sound at Lab events). The Lab's safety lead has final authority over volume and stage access; the crew complies at once, or the set pauses. See Hearing safety. |
| Check-in | Earplugs are offered. The child's headphones are checked on a capped Lab laptop. |
| Waiting to perform | Children wait in a quieter spot with their named Lab adult, away from the speakers. |
| On stage | The DJ listens through capped headphones. The Lab adult watches for signs of discomfort, such as covering ears or wincing. |
| After the set | A quiet break before rejoining the crowd. |
| Watching other acts | Children stay back from the speakers. Earplugs stay available. |
Crowds
- Big crowds can feel overwhelming. A child can ask to leave the performer area for a calm spot at any time. A Lab adult goes with them and stays in view of others. See Cool-down space.
- In class, children practice playing for a "crowd" of classmates (for example, the "crowd reading" move break). That way the first real crowd isn't a surprise.
- If a child changes their mind because of the noise or the crowd, that's fine. See Opting out.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening (Q&A). https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/deafness-and-hearing-loss-safe-listening
- CDC / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, About Noise and Occupational Hearing Loss: REL of 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour workday. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/noise/about/index.html