The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have had a drive to protect the hearing of music teachers and dustbin men. Today, they advised refuse collectors to wear earmuffs when collecting glass.

Yesterday, they told music teachers to wear them when taking lessons or stand behind a noise screen. Apparently the saxophone is a danger after 15 minutes. I was sorely tempted to wear some when I tried to teach myself the saxophone a few years back, but it wasn’t the volume that I was trying to protect myself from.

The considered advice from the HSE to bin men is to empty boxes of glass more slowly to lessen the noise.