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I have been sitting next to a laser printer at work for about 1 year and I believe that I have some Hearing Loss. How many decibels does a laser printer emit and are there any regulations about acceptable levels and placement of equipment in the workplace (how far away from it should I be sitting)?
A printer normslly wouldnt be loud enough to damage hearing but prolonged exposure to loud sound will generally damage your ears, e.g. at a concert 5 mins of the loud volume experienced there could leave your ears ringing for a few hours, this is caused by damage to microscopic hairs on your eardrum which vibrate in correspondence with the sound waves. I'm not sure of the decibel level but When i was in France a pub I was in had a meter reading the volume of the music in decibels and by law it was not allowed to exceed about 78 decibels if I'm correct. But even still differnet printers emit different noise levels and if you're sitting close enough then yes you could damage your hearing, think of earphones, they might be blasting in yours ears when they could only be heard a couple of metres away. I've had a few problems with my ears, hearing tests etc, i play in a band and always wear earplugs in concert because volumes are way too loud, everyone should wear them! Anyway if you're worried wear plugs/ move the printer/ move your desk... if you want to know the decibel level of your printer, post the model name, ask the manufacturer... your hearing is precious so dont risk damaging it.
