Audio Equipment: Health Hazards

Bob Russell
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals for a statutory warning to be published on the external packaging of personal audio equipment to inform consumers about risks to their hearing.

Margaret Hodge
It is already widely understood that playing personal audio equipment too loud can damage your hearing. This is usually mentioned as a safety warning in the product instructions. It is not clear what would be achieved by repeating the message on the external packaging.

These products are increasingly being supplied with software controls for limiting volume which parents can set for their children under a security code. Personal audio equipment intended solely for children is already limited to safe volume levels in line with harmonised European standard EN 71-1.