You’ve probably never thought about wearing ear plugs while commuting to work on the London Underground each day.
But now a scientific investigation has uncovered that using the Tube can be ‘as loud as going to a rock concert’.
University College London researchers have warned that taking the popular method of transport could cause irreversible hearing damage over time.
Their new study has mapped the 10 loudest journeys over zones one and two on the network, with the Victoria line shown to be the worst offender.
Dr Joe Sollini, who led the research, claimed the noise was loud enough to warrant ear defenders, if it was in a work environment.
An investigation has uncovered that using the Tube can be ‘as loud as going to a rock concert’
The experiment was carried out in conjunction with BBC London, with the show set to be aired tonight on BBC One at 7.30pm.
Dr Sollini said: ‘The Central Line has the loudest section out of all of the Tube lines, and it basically gets as loud as almost 110 decibels (dB).
‘To put that into perspective that is approximately as loud as going to a gig or rock concert.
‘Also on average the Victoria Line is the loudest followed by the Jubilee, Northern and Central Lines, at or above 85 Decibels.
‘If this was a work environment would be considered so loud that you would have to wear ear defenders.’
Dr Sollini said the findings show that the tube is ‘sufficiently loud’ enough to warrant further investigations in the coming years.
He told the programme: ‘It certainly shows that it [the London Underground] can be loud enough to damage people’s hearing.
‘For people using the noisier lines regularly and for long journey’s then it certainly suggests that it would be worthwhile them using hearing protection.’
| LINE | STATION START | STATION END | DECIBELS |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHERN | KENTISH TOWN | TUFNELL PARK | 97 |
| CENTRAL | HOLLAND PARK | NOTTING HILL GATE | 95.4 |
| CENTRAL | LIVERPOOL STREET | BETHNAL GREEN | 95.2 |
| NORTHERN | CAMDEN TOWN | EUSTON | 94.4 |
| JUBILEE | NORTH GREENWICH | CANARY WHARF | 94.4 |
| JUBILEE | BAKER STREET | ST JOHN’S WOOD | 93.5 |
| JUBILEE | BOND STREET | BAKER STREET | 93.4 |
| VICTORIA | VAUXHALL | STOCKWELL | 93.3 |
| VICTORIA | STOCKWELL | BRIXTON | 92.5 |
| BAKERLOO | LAMBETH NORTH | WATERLOO | 91 |
Noise meters placed on train carriages recorded sound levels of all journeys in zones one and two over a one-week period to calculate an average.
UK laws state employees must be given ear defenders if noises breach 85 dB in their workplace – but the London Underground regularly breaches that.
It revealed the Northern line had the loudest journey, with the one-stop trip between Kentish Town and Tuffnell Park clocking in at 97 dB.
Holland Park to Notting Hill Gate on the Central line recorded 95.4 dB, and Liverpool Street to Bethnal Green on the same line came in at 95.2 dB.
In contrast, a state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner is believed to be in the region of 88 dB, and an ambulance siren clocks in at around 120dB.
The loudest journey that was recorded over the study was between Bethnal Green and Liverpool Street on the Central line, at 109 dB.
But the noise breached 105 dB – the equivalent of sitting next to a large drum – on 10 different occassions, the research discovered.
WHAT ARE DECIBELS AND HOW LOUD IS SHOOTING A PISTOL?
Shooting a pistol is the equivalent to 160 decibels, charities claim
Health and safety guidelines say the maximum impulse level anyone should experience shouldn’t exceed 140 decibels.
Just one exposure to levels higher than this can potentially be unsafe to hearing for both children and adults.
Hearing researchers have repeatedly warned that loud noises should be considered as dangerous as not putting on sunscreen outdoors.
That is because hearing damage occurs when the delicate hair cells in the inner ear – which don’t regrow – are worn down by noise.
Here, decibel levels have been revealed with what their real-life equivalent is, using information on Alpine Hearing Protection’s website.
DECIBEL
10
50
85
100
120
160
EXAMPLE
A pin drop
A car driving past
THE LIMIT FOR EAR DEFENDERS
Machine in a factory
Ambulance siren
Shooting with a pistol
It comes after a different study, led by charity Action on Hearing Loss, in December revealed that family restaurants can be noisier than a pneumatic drill.
The research showed Pizza Express at Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank hit 108.1 decibels at one point – louder than eating next to a revving motorbike.
Transport for London, responsible for running the tube, said it is ‘highly unlikely’ that the noise would cause any long-term damage.
Nigel Holness, London Underground’s Network Operations Director, added they are committed to doing everything they can to ensure it is a ‘safe environment’.
He said: ‘We monitor noise levels on the Tube and ensure that they are below those set by the Health and Safety Executive.
‘While customers travelling on our network can experience noise, higher volumes tend to be for short periods of time.’
Health and safety guidelines say the maximum impulse level anyone should experience shouldn’t exceed 140 decibels.
Just one exposure to levels higher than this can potentially be unsafe to hearing for both children and adults.
Hearing researchers have repeatedly warned that loud noises should be considered as dangerous as not putting on sunscreen outdoors.
That is because hearing damage occurs when the delicate hair cells in the inner ear – which don’t regrow – are worn down by noise.