Good practice: noise at work
Noise at work is making the news as more
people become aware of the risks. Industries such as construction,
engineering and manufacturing can expose people to loud noises, but
teachers, musicians, call centre workers and bar staff are also
among those at risk. Connect looks at what can be done to protect
workers.
Headlines
- More than a million UK workers are exposed to noise levels that
could damage their hearing
- Around 170,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, tinnitus or
other ear conditions because of excessive noise at work
- You can stop yourself losing your hearing, but you can’t get it
back once it’s gone.
What is noise?
Noise is often defined as ‘unwanted sound’, and its loudness is
measured in decibels (dB). Noise becomes dangerous when people are
exposed to it at high levels for prolonged periods. Sudden
extremely loud, explosive noises, like those from guns, can cause
permanent hearing damage immediately.
What’s the damage?
Too much noise can cause permanent tinnitus (ringing in the
ears), voice damage or deafness. While deafness caused by a sudden
noise might go away in time, this isn’t guaranteed. Deafness that
develops over a number of years is likely to be permanent. By the
time you realise you have a problem, it may be too late to prevent
it getting worse – and there’s no cure.
David James of the Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre, and an
IOSH course provider, told Connect:
“Noise can also cause lack of concentration
leading to errors and accidents, irritability, poor communication
with colleagues and poor audibility of warning signals, fatigue,
stress, increased blood pressure and a low but proven increase in
risk of ischaemic heart disease.”
Who’s at risk?
Anyone subjected to loud noises at work. It may seem obvious
that construction, engineering, farming and manufacturing work can
expose people to loud noises, but teachers, musicians, call centre
workers and bar staff are also among those at risk.
“Significant hearing loss and tinnitus are
relatively common, particularly among the older male working
population,” says James. “Although age-related hearing loss and
tinnitus do happen naturally, they can also result from long-term
exposure to noise in the workplace.”
How does the law protect workers?
Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, the first
‘exposure action value’ level for noise in the workplace is a daily
or weekly average exposure to noise of 80 decibels (dB(A)). At this
level, employers must assess the risk to workers’ health and
provide them with information, training and, if they request it,
personal hearing protection. At 85 dB(A), hearing protection
becomes compulsory.
What should I do as a heath and safety practitioner?
It’s important to establish a good noise management programme
that includes details of company policy in each of the following
areas:
Company noise criteria will often be determined by legislation,
but some areas (such as noise nuisance or buying standards for new
equipment) may vary between industries. Criteria should be linked
with appropriate standard measurement procedures.
People working in noise areas should be told about the risks to
their hearing and about company policy. There should also be
someone trained within the company who can take responsibility for
implementing the noise programme (with specialist assistance in
some areas). This training should be circulated as widely as
possible to all employees.
Regular noise assessments should be carried out inside and,
where necessary, outside the premises. Results should be recorded
in a format that can be compared with the standards and should form
an authoritative record of likely employee exposure over the years.
Surveys should be reviewed at least every two years, and
reassessments carried out when necessary.
Any area where the daily or weekly average exposure is likely to
exceed 85 dB(A) should be designated a hearing protection zone,
where hearing protection must be worn. A hearing conservation
programme should be developed including education, a choice of
suitable protectors, an agreement about sanctions for non-use and
associated record keeping. Most of these measures are also
applicable for daily or weekly average exposures above 80 dB(A).
Hearing protection can be costly, and should be regarded primarily
as first aid until noise can be reduced to ‘safe’ levels.
Noise should be reduced as far as is reasonably practicable. The
traditional approach has focused on palliative measures, but
technical advances in engineering are now producing source control
solutions that often avoid many of the operational and direct costs
associated with noise control. The possibility of reducing noise
levels should be carefully evaluated in each case.
A ‘buy quiet’ company noise standard for new plant and equipment
is probably the single most effective long-term noise control
measure. Buying standards put pressure on manufacturers to improve
equipment and eliminate the problem at source.
A hearing assessment programme is required for all employees
likely to be exposed above 85 dB(A).
A programme should be implemented to monitor the benefits
obtained from the money and resources spent on noise – if there’s
no practical benefit, why are you doing it?
How can workers help themselves?
Employees should report any increase in noise level due to wear
and tear of equipment or maintenance issues to either
management or you, as a health and safety representative. If
hearing protection is required, it must be worn all the time while
exposed to the noise.
“Just five minutes without wearing hearing
protection while exposed to noise reduces a 30 dB protection factor
to less than 20 dB over an eight hour day,” says James. “Imagine
being out in a torrential downpour for seven hours 55 minutes with
a good umbrella and then folding the brolly and staying out for the
final five minutes – you’d be almost as soaked as if you hadn’t
bothered with the umbrella at all.”
IOSH links
Related links
• HSE – noise at work
• HSE - Noise at work in
the music and entertainment sectors
• Sound Advice - noise at work in
music and entertainment
Connect would like to thank David James of the Industrial
Noise and Vibration Centre for his help in writing this
article.