114dB

114dB is a level of sound pressure expressed on the logarithmic decibel scale, commonly used to quantify the intensity of noise. One decibel corresponds to a ten‑fold increase in sound pressure, with the scale calibrated so that 0 dB equals the threshold of human hearing at 1 kHz for a rest listener. A 114‑decibel sound is therefore roughly 4000 times more intense than the quietest sound a human can hear.

The 114 dB level marks a critical point for hearing safety. At exposures lasting a few minutes, it approaches the threshold of pain for some people, and is close to the level at which transient hearing damage can occur. Occupational and industrial guidelines often use a 115 dB breakpoint as the hand‑hold limit for short exposures. For example, many national standards specify that continuous exposure to noise above 115 dB for more than 15 minutes requires hearing protection.

Common sound sources that produce approximately 114 dB at a distance of one meter include heavy machinery such as cement mixers and diesel locomotive horns, high‑volume sporting events including splash and diving, and certain indoor industrial operations like pneumatic hammers. Road traffic near large trucks can also reach this level, especially when measured at close range.

Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a small increase in dB corresponds to a large increase in actual energy. An additional 10 dB represents a ten‑fold increase in sound intensity, making 114 dB a point of significant perceptual change. The measure is obtained with a sound level meter set to A‑weighting, which applies a frequency weighting to approximate human hearing sensitivity. In contexts such as environmental monitoring, 114 dB is often used as a benchmark for assessing compliance with noise regulations and to inform the design of hearing protection systems.