Presented by Environmental Inspector Hanna-Mari Torniainen from Helsinki Environment Center at Guthenborg & Co 16th August 2012

1. Noise abatement in Helsinki
Regulations, practices, cases
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

2. Environmental Protection Act
• The objective of this Act is to prevent the pollution of the
environment
• Environmental pollution refers to, for example, such emission of a
noise caused by human activity in the environment that causes
harm to health or decreases the general amenity of the
environment
• Operators must have sufficient knowledge of their activities'
environmental impact and risks and of ways to reduce harmful
effects (knowledge requirement)
• Operators must notify the municipal environmental protection
committees in writing of measures or events causing temporary
noise, such as public events if there is reason to expect that such
noise will be especially disturbing. The notification shall be made in
good time before taking the measure or starting the activity, but
not less than 30 days in advance.
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

3. The City of Helsinki’s environmental
protection regulations
• På svenska:
http://www.hel.fi/hki/Ymk/sv/f_retag+och+verksamhetsidkare/milj
_skyddsf_reskrifterna/milj_skyddsf_reskrifterna
• The operator must always inform the neighborhood on the event.
In addition the operator must negotiate about sufficient noise
abatement with particularly sensitive neighbors such as hospitals,
day care centers and schools.
• The City of Helsinki's environmental protection regulations specify
activities for which a notification must always be made.
• The obligation to notify the municipal environmental protection
authority also concerns an event causing temporary noise that is
arranged elsewhere besides an area reserved for it in the city plan.
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

4. Examples are:
• an outdoor concert where amplifiers are used
• a motor sports competition
• a sports, amusement or exhibition occasion or
other large public event that causes especially
disturbing noise
• an air show or temporary event offering plane
rides that includes over ten landings or
takeoffs.
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

5. A decision made on the basis of a
notification can
• order the dissemination of information on an
event, limit the duration of the event
• require monitoring of the noise situation or
noise abatement measures
• forbid activities if noise disturbance cannot be
reduced sufficiently
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

6. Important factors on decision-making
• Number of concerts/events organized on the
same area during a summer/year
• Size of an event
• Position of the nearest dwellings
• Duration of the event
• Possible sound level
• Operator’s means to prevent the noise problem
• Previous experiences of the same event
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

7. General limits
• Concerts should generally end by 11 pm
• If an event lasts more than one day or if several concerts
are arranged in the same place during the summer, as a
rule concerts should end by 10 pm
• Before 10.00 pm 70 dB (LAeq) by the nearest dwellings
• After 10.00 pm 55 dB (LAeq) by the nearest dwellings
• If an event ends before 8.00 pm and lasts only one day the
operator doesn’t have to notify the the municipal
environmental protection authority
• If the operator wants the event to continue several days
after 10 pm and the noise level is higher than 55 dB the
operator must demonstrate to an authority the dispersion
model of noise
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

8. Use of sound equipment
• The continuing use of sound equipment outdoors
between 10 pm and 7 am and during the day in
the vicinity of a hospital, old people's home, day-
care centre or similar institution is prohibited
• Public events, arrangers of temporary events and
street musicians must make sure that an event or
music performance does not disturb the
neighborhood. For street musicians electric
sound amplification using an external power
source is prohibited
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

9. Cases
• Flow
• Summer Sound Festival
• Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
• Sonisphere
• Tuska
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

10. Flow
• 8.-12.8.2012, Suvilahti
• 50 000 visitors
• Main stage: 70 dB before 23 pm/24pm
(depending on the day). After that 60 dB until
23.00/23.30/1.30 (depending on the day) in the
whole event area.
• Noise level measurements, orders about the
dissemination of information
• Previous years more than a hundred complaints
from inhabitants.
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

11. Summer Sound Festival
• 27.-29.7.2012, Messukeskus yard
• 24 000 visitors
• 27.-28.7, 10 pm – 1.30 am, 60 dB
• 29.7. 10 pm – 00.30 am, 55 dB
• Noise level maesurements, orders about the
dissemination of information
• Some complaints from inhabitants.
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

12. Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
• Bruce Sprinsteen 31.7.2012, Madonna 12.8.2012,
The Helsinki Olympic Stadium
• 40 000 visitors per concert
• Concerts should end at 11.00 pm. Both cencerts
continued later.
• Before 11.00 pm 80 dB
• Noise level measurements, orders about the
dissemination of information
• Some complaints from inhabitants about the
duration
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

13. Sonisphere
• 4.6.2012, Kyläsaari
• 47 000 visitors
• Before 11.00 pm 80 dB by the nearest dwellings
and 90 dB by the reception centre (which is the
nearest building to the event area)
• Noise level measurements, orders about the
dissemination of information
• Metallica continued the concert after 11.00 pm,
many complaints from inhabitants
Hanna-Mari Torniainen

14. Tuska
• Finnish Metal Event, 28.6.-1.7.2012, Suvilahti
• 26 000 visitors
• Ends at 11.00 pm
• Noise limit 75 dB
• Noise level measurements, orders about the
dissemination of information
• No complaints
Hanna-Mari Torniainen