Launched on World Hearing Day, the Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) Certification is the world’s first safe listening accreditation. The initiative is targeted at every job role in the live events sector – from bar managers to concert promoters, as well as those operating in technical positions. Speaking exclusively to TPi, Jon Burton – a respected sound engineer, lecturer at the University of Derby and member of the Governance Board at HELA – shares what went into creating the HELA Certification, and why it is so important for the future of the industry.
There are two levels of the HELA Certification. The Core, designed for those operating outside of managerial or technical roles, and the Complete – aimed at managers or technicians. Both courses, which TPi had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand, cover important topics such as sound level limits, personal hearing protection, noise pollution, audience expectations, and more.
At the time of writing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over one billion young people across the globe are at risk of hearing loss due to avoidable recreational sound exposure – part of which may be attributable to concert-going, a damning statistic which HELA aims to help tackle.
“We need to be more proactive as an industry,” Burton stated, “Part of that is by educating everyone in the industry about hearing and hearing health. We want to give everyone in the industry a basic understanding of how their hearing works, how they can look after it and provide examples of best practice. This is about giving people the knowledge to make decisions for the benefit of their colleagues and audience members.”
One of the key takeaways is that loudness is not the same as high sound pressure levels. A dynamic show can be more effective than one that relies on high sound pressure levels alone. However, as Burton commented, ‘this message is not just about turning it down’. Examples of best practice include drawing up a ‘sound plan’, setting out clear responsibilities and actions that involve all the stakeholders of an event, from staff to audience, and as in the ‘limited annoyance’ of the name, to neighbours and others impacted by events. Plans should look at audience expectations, venue acoustics, system deployment and take a holistic view for the benefit of all.
With more industry insiders enrolling onto the course, Burton hopes that the HELA Certification will become commonplace. “After all, you wouldn’t go to a restaurant without a hygiene rating, so why should you go to a gig or venue where nobody recognises the importance of sound?” he remarked. “We’ve done a five-year lifespan of the certification so that as knowledge increases, the teaching can reflect the latest findings and best practices.”
HELA is a non-profit, and the nominal cost is used to help fund necessary research. “We’re very lucky to have recently received Seedcorn funding, which is going straight into establishing our research arm. All research will be linked to our sector and involve industry and academic partners. This work will help guarantee the sustainability of our industry and help contribute to even better experiences for those working in the industry and the audience alike,” he reported.
Founding members of HELA include Meyer Sound, MusiCares, NEXO, Rational Acoustics, RCF, Sensaphonics, Solotech, Adamson Systems Engineering, TW AUDiO, Vanguardia and many more. “We’re very grateful that around 30 founding members believed in our vision to get the course off the ground, despite it being a completely non-profit initiative,” he concluded. “With their support, we can educate people and hopefully make it a standard certification for those entering the industry.”
Personally, the HELA Certification was a valuable learning experience that bolstered my knowledge on best practice when it comes to hearing health and I encourage anyone in the industry to get involved in supporting the initiative or enrolling on a course.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photo: HELA
