“As an audiologist,” writes Patricia Greene in the Washington Post, “I was alarmed to read about the sound level at “Bandolero” A check at the spirited Mexican restaurant in Georgetown averaged 105 decibels, the din associated with a power mower.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, says Greene, who works for Kaiser Permanente in Gaithersburg, an individual should not be in an environment with these readings for more than an hour without the use of ear protection.