Are you controlling workplace noise?
Posted on: June 10, 2010
Workplace Noise: What do companies need to do to comply with the regulations and to defend themselves from claims?
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 came into force in the UK on April 6th 2006, with the aim of trying to ensure that workers are protected from excessive noise in the workplace. The flow chart below shows how the regulations are designed to work:
Over 1 million workers in the UK are exposed to levels of noise that put their hearing at risk, that is approximately 1 in 30 workers and some 170,000 people have in the UK have suffered deafness, ringing in the ears or other ear conditions as a direct result of excessive noise. It is clear therefore that noise is an issue that industry needs to understand and address.
One of the key misunderstandings when it comes to workplace noise and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 is in relation to how to both protect workers (as a priority), as well as ensuring that a business is protected against a claim.
Q: If I follow the guidelines illustrated by the diagram above will I satisfy the requirements of the HSE?
A: You will be well on your way to complying with the Regulations and satisfying the HSE as and when they visit your premises.
Q: By following the guidelines will I be able to defend against a claim for noise related deafness?
A: The answer to this is NO. The above flow chart shows what you need to do to assess the risk; the risk assessment process needs to be bolstered by measuring the risk.
Q: How do I protect my workers and protect by business?
A: The best way to ensure that a company protects its workers as a priority and is able to provide actual evidence that a company has endeavored to protect its workers, is by having actual evidence of noise levels at hand (Regulation 4 & 5). Having an independent survey carried out by a competent consultant is one of the best ways of providing this evidence and will bolster the information provided by internal assessments and that provided by health surveillance (Regulation 9).
Q: I have a noise mapping report; does this assess the risks to workers?
A: Having a noise assessment of the site to provide a noise map is a good way of defining boundaries for hearing protection areas, but it does not actually assess the impact on the workers and therefore does not fully comply with the requirements of Regulations 4 & 5. A noise mapping survey provides additional useful information to bolster a personal noise survey, but should not be deemed as something that is done instead.
Q: I provide hearing protection for my workers, surely that is helping me comply?
A: The Regulations do touch on hearing protection and the provision of suitable hearing protection is vital in the workplace if noise cannot be eliminated or controlled, but with all the different types of hearing protection out there are you sure you are providing the correct one? It is vital that if PPE in the form of ear defenders or ear plugs, for example, are chosen as a way of trying to control noise that the correct type of ear protection is selected. You could under protect or over protect, therefore by measuring the noise that the worker is exposed to, a more informed choice of PPE can be made.
Note: Protectors that reduce the level at the ear to below 70 dB should be avoided, since this over-protection may cause difficulties with communication and hearing warning signals. Users may become isolated from their environment, leading to safety risks, and generally may have a tendency to remove the hearing protection and therefore risk damage to their hearing.
Q: What should a noise survey look at?
A: The main priority of a workplace noise survey should be to conduct a true assessment on the worker at their point of work; this is what Regulations 4 & 5 actually ask for. There are several ways that this can be carried out based on the workers task. It can be carried out by a consultant using a hand held noise meter to measure the noise levels at the point of work, this is an acceptable assessment of the working noise where exposure levels are constant. Alternatively the survey can be carried out by attaching a noise dosimeter to the worker (as close to the impact area i.e. the ear as practical whilst avoiding any possible ’shadowing’ caused by the workers head) to assess the noise over the duration of their working day, or during a specific task. The use of a dosimeter is the best way of assessing noise exposure if a worker operates in various locations during their working day.
Whatever method is chosen it is critical that is a true assessment of the noise levels experienced.
A noise survey should look at what the company is doing to eliminate or control exposure (Regulation 6).
The survey should look at both sound pressure levels (dB) and noise frequency (Hz). Frequency (sometimes referred to as “pitch”) or Octave band analysis is critical when looking at situations where PPE is provided. PPE provided should be fit for purpose (Regulation 7). Tones of the same sound pressure level (dB) but different frequencies (Hz) do not sound equally loud to the ear, nor do they have the same potential for causing hearing loss (at high levels). The A-weighting curve approximates to the response of the ear to noise at different frequencies.
Therefore when you are looking at conducting an external assessment of noise at work, look at what you are getting. Anyone can measure noise, but not everybody assesses noise. This is the key to ensuring that you get what you are paying for and that the outcome is actually of benefit to both workers and the business.
For more details on the Health and Safety Executive and noise, or to order/download a copy of the regulations please use the following link www.hse.gov.uk/noise.
Our competent and experienced consultants have assisted companies in the UK and Europe in assessing the risks posed by noise in the workplace, conducting both surveys and training for those people exposed to noise in the workplace. For help and advice and to arrange a no obligation site visit by one of our consultants to discuss how you can protect your workers and your business , please call the head office on 01443 841760 and we will arrange for someone to discuss your requirements in detail.
Note: Flow chart courtesy of the HSE website.