PPE designed to prevent the harmful effects of noise must be capable of attenuating the latter to such an extent that the equivalent sound levels perceived by the user do not under any circumstances exceed the daily limit values laid down by Council Directive 86/188/EEC of 12 May 1986 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to noise at work (; ).

When an integrating averaging sonometer conforming to IEC standard 804 (which is well suited for measurement of the equivalent continuous sound pressure level of impulse noise) complies at least with the specifications of type 1 and has recently been fully calibrated in a laboratory, and the microphone is properly located (see 3.2 above), the results make it possible, with certain exceptions to determine whether a given exposure has been exceeded (see 4) even in complex situations; that method is thus generally applicable, and is well suited for reference purposes.

In order to shed light on this choice, an international scientific group of experts has conducted a study comparing the alternatives and taking into account: - polluting emissions and noise - safety - technical reliability - economic and financial considerations - energy supply of the EC.

Over the past several years, I have tried to get information from the counterpart in my country to the Canadian Marine Manufacturers Association — the Personal Watercraft Industry Association — to quantify and document the purported and highly touted reductions in noise from newer machines.