Understanding and managing sound exposure and noise pollution at outdoor events

This report is intended to present the current state of affairs surrounding the issue of outdoor event-related sound and noise. The two principal areas of investigation are sound exposure on-site and noise pollution off-site. These issues are different in nature and require distinct approaches to mitigate the associated negative short-term and long-term effects. The key message that is presented throughout this report is that the problems/ambiguities with current regulations are due to a lack of unbiased, scientifically-based research. It is possible to deliver acceptably high sound levels to audience members in a safe manner (minimizing risk of hearing damage) while also minimizing annoyance in local communities, where solutions to the on-site and off-site problems should begin with a well-informed sound system design. Only with a properly designed sound system can sound/noise regulations be realistically applied.N/