Legislation

Hearing damage is a widespread and societal problem

In the Netherlands, agreements have been made regarding noise levels, for example in permits and in the Dutch “Fourth Covenant on the Prevention of Hearing Damage from Amplified Music.” 

There is now even greater pressure on hospitality business owners to take additional measures to maintain sound levels. This is difficult when you don’t always have control over or insight into the sound yourself. Additionally, it often requires a significant investment of money, time, and energy. But with Horecasense, this becomes simple.

It is not only hospitality and music venue operators who face pressure to limit hearing damage. Local governments are also expected to monitor, enforce, and take action when noise pollution occurs. Horecasense provides the ideal platform for policy and enforcement.

Trusted in the Netherlands and Belgium

Horecasense is the easiest way to continuously measure and record the sound level in your establishment yourself. 
With the online platform, you can monitor sound levels and receive alerts from anywhere. This allows you to actively keep sound emissions within limits, preventing not only complaints but also fines and hearing damage. It also aligns with the Dutch Fourth Covenant on the Prevention of Hearing Damage from Amplified Music.

To raise awareness and address the problem in The Netherlands, the “Fourth Covenant on the Prevention of Hearing Damage from Amplified Music” was signed in 2023. This is a collaboration between the Dutch government and industry organizations to jointly prevent irreversible hearing damage. The approach taken by cities such as Leuven and Brussels served as a model.

The City of Leuven chose Horecasense 

One system, Horecasense, is mandatory for all hospitality venues in Leuven, Belgium. 

Sound levels in Leuven’s hospitality sector are measured and, if necessary, made available online for monitoring. In this way, the city of Leuven limits noise pollution for residents and prevents hearing damage among visitors to hospitality venues. Horecasense demonstrably improves noise control in the hospitality sector, with significantly lower enforcement costs. 

In Brussels, all organizers who broadcast amplified sound must protect the public from noise pollution and hearing damage. A key aspect of this is raising visitors’ awareness of intense or prolonged exposure to excessively loud sound.
Our Horecasense system has been certified by the City of Brussels to fully comply with the Amplified Sound legislation. 

With Horecasense, noise pollution and hearing damage are reduced while preserving the creativity of DJs and artists.