The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) has welcomed EU proposals cap the volume at which people can pipe music directly into their ears using MP3 players such as iPods.
The mandate is expected to be laid out in detail in detail today by European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Meglena Kuneva, at a press conference held at RNID's head office in London.
Under the new guidelines, default MP3 player volume settings will be limited to 80 dB(A), with exposure limited to 40 hours per week. Users still have the option of overriding these settings, but they'll be clearly warned of the possible consequences of their actions.
"The evidence is that particularly young people - who are listening to music at high volumes sometimes for hours each week - have no idea they can be putting their hearing at risk," Kuneva, said in a statement.
"These standards make small technical changes to players so that by default, normal use is safe. If consumers chose to override the default settings they can, but there will be clear warnings so they know the risks they are taking."
Manufacturers will also be asked to play their role by including warnings of the dangers on product packaging.
"This is a huge step forward in our aim to protect people's hearing from serious, permanent damage in later life. Hearing loss can have a profound affect on a person's life - it can cause social isolation and lead people to withdraw from family, work and friends," added Jackie Ballard, the RNID's chief executive in a statement.
"We want to help people do all they can to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. By recognising the affects of too much loud music now, people will be able to enjoy listening to music for longer. As these proposals are developed, it is essential that manufacturers of personal music players are supportive of these plans and we look forward to working in partnership with industry, legislators and campaigners to get the messages right and safeguard the hearing of a generation of music lovers."
