Last updated: 27 September 2026
In short: We use standards bodies, regulators and official health guidance as sources; check every number against its source formula or a test; call browser readings estimates; carry no ads, affiliate links or paid placements; and correct errors when readers report them.
This policy explains how SoundDBMeter.com plans, writes, checks, updates and corrects its guides and tool pages. Its goal is simple: help readers understand sound without making a browser estimate look more exact or more official than it is.
Who writes and reviews content
SoundDBMeter.com is run independently by Addito, who writes, reviews and updates the guides and builds and tests the tools. We do not claim credentials such as licensed audiologist, certified acoustician, occupational-health professional or laboratory expert. Trust has to come from sources you can check and tests we publish, not from titles. More about the site is on the about page.
Sourcing standards
We choose sources by topic and risk. The more a page could influence a health, work or legal decision, the stronger the source has to be.
| Source type | Examples | What we use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Regulations and standards | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95, EU Directive 2003/10/EC, IEC 61672-1, EBU R128, ITU-R BS.1770 | Legal limits, frequency and time weighting, loudness |
| Official health and research guidance | NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard (1998), WHO noise and safe-listening guidance, US EPA 1974 levels document | Recommended limits, sleep and community noise targets |
| Peer-reviewed and technical literature | Acoustics research and standards commentary | Background explanations |
| Technical documentation | Web Audio API and media-capture specifications | How the browser tools work |
| Our own tests | Written QA reports with reference signals | Tool behaviour and accuracy notes |
We do not treat forum posts, user comments, product marketing, other websites’ tables or AI-generated text as evidence. The full list, with what each source is used for, is on the references page.
How numbers are verified
Every number on the site must trace back to a formula, a source table or a test result:
- Exposure times. NIOSH: safe time = 8 h ÷ 2^((L − 85) ÷ 3), so 85 dB(A) is 8 hours, 88 is 4 hours and 100 is 15 minutes. OSHA: 8 h ÷ 2^((L − 90) ÷ 5), so 90 dB(A) is 8 hours, 95 is 4 hours and 100 is 2 hours, with no continuous exposure above 115 dB(A). The same formulas drive the noise exposure calculator and the exposure time limits guide.
- Decibel tables. Levels in the decibel chart and the safe noise levels chart are typical ranges with the distance or situation, and the safe times beside them are calculated from those formulas, not copied from other sites.
- Decibel maths. Adding, averaging and distance examples are worked by hand and checked in the decibel calculator: two 60 dB sources make 63.0 dB, and the energy average of 60 and 70 dB is 67.4 dB, not 65. The method is in how to add decibels.
- Weightings. dB(A) and dB(C) values follow the IEC 61672 tables, as explained in dBA vs dBC.
- Tool results. Any statement about how a tool behaves comes from its QA report, for example the meter reading 76.9 dB(A) for a 77.0 dB(A) test signal. See the testing methodology.
Fact-checking before publishing
- Check each number against its source, or recalculate it.
- Confirm the source is the current version of the standard or guidance.
- Check the wording: estimates are called estimates, levels are given as ranges, and units (dB, dB(A), dBFS, LUFS) are used correctly.
- Try any tool instructions on the tool itself.
- Check that every internal link points to a live page.
Safety-adjacent content
Pages about hearing risk, workplace noise, sleep, classrooms, babies and neighbour complaints can influence real decisions, so they use careful wording. They explain general concepts, name the official limits and say when to use a calibrated professional meter or see a professional. They are not medical, legal or workplace-compliance advice; see the disclaimer. Wherever readings are discussed, we point to online decibel meter accuracy and how to calibrate your microphone.
How we explain tool results
When a page explains a reading, it says what the tool measures, what the number means, what can change it (microphone, browser processing, distance, background noise, room reflections, calibration) and whether it is approximate. The technical steps are on how it works, and all tools are listed on the tools page.
AI assistance
AI tools may help with outlining, drafting, summarising or formatting. AI output is never treated as a source. Facts, numbers, safety wording and tool explanations are checked by Addito before publication, and AI is never used to invent credentials, citations, measurements or author details. Final responsibility stays with SoundDBMeter.com and Addito.
Independence, ads and affiliate links
SoundDBMeter.com does not currently display advertising, use affiliate links or publish paid placements, sponsored reviews or paid product recommendations, so no company pays to be mentioned or linked. If this changes, we will update this policy and disclose the relationship on the pages concerned.
Updates and corrections
We update a page when a tool changes, a source is revised, a reader reports an error or the wording can be made clearer. Meaningful updates may be reflected in the page’s updated date. To report an error, send the page URL, the statement in question and your source or calculation through the contact page. Corrections are made when our review confirms that a change is warranted, and reports about a tool’s readings are re-tested before the tool or its page is changed.
Privacy-aware writing
Because several tools use the microphone, pages must say clearly when access starts, that audio is processed in the browser and not uploaded, and what is kept in local storage. See the privacy policy and the data security page.