permanent hearing damage 120 dB

and it is cumulative. Ask a boilermaker (if they can hear you). If you can find one today. Rivetters ditto.

Now shall we talk about the average hearing loss figures as published by the UK gov? They are seriously worried (as in Healthcare costs) about the average age that the hearing loss is occuring and needing hearing aids. That age is lower than it used to be by maybe 20 years. Discos, Night Clubs and the modern walkman (and the amount of time it is used) are all cited as causes. The UK gov find it easier politically to tackle the workplace and reckon that 94 dB is a level that will be difficult to support litigation over hearing loss.

I well remember the MotorCross fraternity virtually atrophying because exessive noise caused residents' complaints and loss of venues. They have genre-wide organisations that can administer regulations so they got their act together and set levels for each motorbike and rigidly enforced them.

Folk Festivals similarly have occ events in fields but the difference is that there are more bass notes to carry further and late late into the night. If we don't get our act together and learn from history, we will loose events. Simples.