The Royal National Institute for Deaf people has welcomed the mandate to develop new regulations for personal music players, set out by the European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Meglena Kuneva . RNID’s Don’t Lose the Music campaign has been lobbying the European Commission and manufacturers to raise awareness about the risks of hearing damage for people who listen to personal music players at high volume levels for long periods of time. The campaign found that 66% of personal music player users listen to music louder than 85 decibels, which according the World Health Organisation, can cause permanent hearing loss over time. The new standards will make it clear that safe use depends on exposure time and volume levels. The default settings will be limited to 80 dB(A) and exposure should be limited to 40 hours/week. Consumers can choose to override these settings, but will be warned about the risks of hearing damage if they do. Personal music player manufacturers will also be required to include clear on-pack warnings and hearing damage information in product literature, so that music fans know when they’ve reached a damaging volume and can take action to protect their hearing.