noise exposure risk with children's toys

Kid Toys and Noise Exposure

Jonathan Javid5 August 2009

ASHA Reminds Consumers to Beware of Noisy Toys

• December 2001• ASHA urges parents and others buying toys to

inspect them for noise dangers just as they would for small pieces that can be easily swallowed, and to not buy a toy if it sounds too loud.

Are Toys Too Loud?

• 20 dB difference from what an adult hears and a child may hear.– Due to Anatomy of the ear.– Length of arms.

Worse Case Scenario- Child puts toys up to their ear.

What’s the problem

• Because of a child's shorter arm span, noisy toys are potentially more dangerous as children hold them close to the ear.

• Moreover, the way children play with their toys usually does not comply with the industry's "recommended use".

How Noise is Tested

• Noise is tested using a standard digital sound level meter

Canada Standards

• Currently, toys are considered acceptable if they emit 100 decibels or less

» Canwest News Service, National toy tests show dangerous decibel levels. June 17, 2008

US Standards

• The current standard recommends a maximum limit of 85dBA (decibels) for rattles and 92dBA for toys held close to the ear (like toy phones).

• Warning labels for toys that exceed 110 dBA

Suggested Standards• Hand-held, table-top, floor, and crib toys should not produce

continuous sound that exceeds 90 dB when measured from 25 centimeters.

• Close-to-the-ear toys should not produce continuous sound that exceeds 70 dB when measured from 25 centimeters.

• Toys with impact-type impulsive sounds should not produce a peak sound in excess of 120 dB when measured from 25 centimeters.

• Toys with explosive-type sounds should not produce a peak sound in excess of 138 dB when measured from 25 centimeters.

• November 2003, American Society of Testing and Materians (ASTM)

• "These can be toys that are fairly high tech, or some very low-tech toys, such as whistles and accordions.“

– Paul R. Kileny, Ph.D., director of audiology and electrophysiology at the U-M Health System's Department of Otolaryngology

All I Want for Christmas Is ... a Toy with a Mute Button

The Naughty ListRisk hearing damage in less than one minute

• Top Offender- Cars Shake ’N Go Mater by Fisher Price, blared at 120.8 dB(A)

The Naughty ListRisk hearing damage in less than one minute

• Little People ABC Letter Sounds, a puzzle, topped out at 114.5 dB(A)

The Naughty ListRisk hearing damage in less than one minute

• Disney High School Musical Rockerz Boomin’ Drums, measured 113.5 dB(A).

Advice

• Think about noise when buying toys. If it sounds too loud to you, it will also be too loud for your child.

• Avoid buying toys that have a warning that they should not be used close to the ears, as children will forget this during play.

• Put masking tape over the speaker of the toy to reduce the volume.

Advice• Musical instruments and toy guns with sound effects can be

damaging or cause irritation. In some cases, the best solution is to replace such toys with other less noisy toys or restrict their use to outside play areas.

• Computer games can be annoying for other people. Place your children's computer in a special room rather than in the living room or common room.

• Children's mats or rugs are an efficient means of reducing noise from playing blocks, for example.

• "Noisy Toys: Annoying or Harmful?", The Hearing Review, 2006, "

Or

• Stick with the soundless toys…

Questions?