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In 2010 the World Cup took place in South Africa, the home of the great white shark, the elephant and the vuvuzela. Although a seemingly harmless African horn, the vuvuzela posed a far greater risk of causing personal injury to English football fans than even the most ferocious of African wildlife and left many fans in need of a personal injury lawyer to gain compensation for the hearing problems the horns caused.
Originating from the kudu horn that was used to summon African villagers to meetings, the plastic instruments have been a popular South African custom at football matches since the early 1990's. However, the droning sound they make, which has been likened by many to the sound of the buzzing of millions of bees, received complaints from fans, footballers and commentators alike.
En masse the horns can produce noise levels of up to 144 decibels inside stadiums, which is louder than a rock concert, the noise of a plane taking off and even the sound of fireworks.
On their own, the horns can reach noise levels of 127 decibels which is louder than a referee's whistle at 121.8 decibels, and even louder than a drum's 122 decibels. Given that the Health and Safety Executive regulations recommend a peak exposure of 140 decibels, and a daily average noise level of only 87dB, the vuvuzela would quickly be banned if it were used in the workplace.
Due to the way the horns are held, the distance between the end of an instrument and other fan's ears is only a matter of centimeters, meaning that the eardrum is exposed to the maximum volume of the horn's noise for however long it is played during each 90 minute match.
Even viewers watching the games at home on television complained to broadcasters about the excessive noise caused by the vuvuzelas and the BBC even gave the option of watching the match with the sound of the horns minimized.
Despite concerns over the noise of the vuvuzuelas, the decision to ban the instruments was dropped as it was felt that they were simply a part of the country's football culture and they should be embraced by fans and viewed as part of the vibe of the 2010 cup.
Fans concerned about suffering from hearing problems because of the horns were encouraged to buy ear plugs at the stadium which are on sale with the instruments. South African shopkeepers reported a surge in earplug sales during the period of the World Cup as visiting fans tried to avoid the noise.
If you have suffered a personal injury which you believe a third party is responsible for, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim.
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