‘Noise at work’ relates to noise levels that employees are exposed to at work, and in the UK, the Health and Safety Executive enforces a law that all UK businesses should comply with. The law is called The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. The main aim of the regulations is to ensure that employees are protected from excessive noise exposure to prevent hearing loss.
Useful references:
- HSE Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 ACOP L108
People and the harm they suffer due to noise exposure:
Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) – in years gone by would have been referred to as industrial deafness.
Threshold shift is a reduction in hearing ability due to damage in the inner ear.
Tinnitus is a ringing or buzzing the person hears with no external noise source and can be extremely tormenting and diminish a person’s quality of life.
NIHL Link to HSE Audio track / demo
Background to the regulations
Exposure to noise has been known to cause many types of hearing damage and hearing loss for decades. The previous law regarding noise was the The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 1989.
This law noted a basic rule of thumb, known as ‘the 2-meter rule’ – if workers had to raise their voices to be heard above the noise levels it was taken as an indication that the employees are exposed to noise levels are very likely to cause hearing damage. The exposure action values back then were higher than they are now. They were lowered as more evidence became known regarding what levels are considered excessive noise levels likely to cause harm.
The current law:
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
The employer has duties in law when employee’s daily or weekly personal noise exposure reaches specified levels of decibels dB(A) when averaged over an 8 hour day (LEPd) or over a working week (LEPw).
What this means in reality (and because of the nature of the decibel scale) is, exposure to lower levels of decibels over the whole day is just as damaging as exposure to a very loud process for a much shorter time period.
For example, 15 minutes exposure to a petrol driven leaf blower at 100dB(A) is enough to result in the worker’s daily average (personal exposure) being above the upper action value, whereas, a process generating decibel levels of 88dB(A) would result in the equivalent exposure when exposed for 4 hours.
Impact noise dB(C) or ‘peak sound pressure’ is also stated in the regulations and is related to one off impact noises.
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 Employer’s Responsibilities
When employee’s daily or weekly personal noise exposure is at:
Lower Action Value of 80dB(A) or 135 dB(C)
- Carry out a noise risk assessment by a competent person in occupational noise exposure
- Provide information and training to employees regarding the risks of noise exposure and controls
- Provide personal hearing protection when requested (not mandatory at this level of exposure)
Upper Action Value of 85bB(A) or 137 dB(C)
- Carry out a noise risk assessment by a competent person in occupational noise exposure
- Combat the noise at source using engineering controls and reduce exposure as low as is reasonably practicable.
- Provide information and training to employees regarding the risks of noise exposure and controls provided by the employer to be used
- Provide personal hearing protection and enforce use
- Mark out hearing protection zones with approved mandatory signage
- Send employees for health surveillance
Exposure Limit Value of 87dB(A) or 140 dB(C) – factoring in hearing protection.
This must not be exceeded.
Looking after the health and safety of staff is important. Where employees are exposed to high levels of noise their hearing will be damaged over time affecting their quality of life. Claims are likely to result as well as the possibility of enforcement action from the HSE for failing to comply with the regulations.
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