Keep The Noise Down

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 came into force for all industry sectors in Great Britain on 6 April 2006 (except for the music and entertainment sectors where they come into force on 6 April 2008).  The 2005 Regulations revoke and replace the Noise at Work Regulations 1989 (except for the music and entertainment sectors where the 1989 Regulations will continue to apply until 6 April 2008.)

The purpose of the latest Regulations is to ensure that employees do not suffer damage to their hearing as a result of excessive noise in the workplace.  Under this legislation, employers have a legal duty to:

• Assess the risks to employees from noise at work. Take action to eliminate the risks or if this not reasonably practicable, reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks
• Provide employees with hearing protection if noise exposure can’t be reduced sufficiently by other methods
• Make sure that the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded.  New action levels and limit values have been introduced under the 2005 Regulations.  More information on these levels and values can be found on the Health and Safety Executive’s website.
• Provide employees with information, instruction and training
• Carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health

Identifying whether you have a noise problem at work will depend on how loud the noise is and how long people are exposed to it.  As a simple guide, you probably need to do something about the noise if any of the following apply:

• Do your employees use noisy powered tools or machinery for more than thirty minutes each day?
• Is the noise intrusive – like a busy street, vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant – for most of the working day?
• Do your employees have to raise their voices to carry out a normal conversation when about 2 metres apart for at least part of the day?
• Is your industry noisy eg construction, woodworking, engineering, plastics processing etc?
• Are there noises due to impacts (e.g. hammering, pneumatic impact tools etc) or explosive sources or guns?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, you may need to carry out a noise risk assessment to help you decide what you need to do to ensure the health and safety of employees exposed to noise.

Detailed information on the requirements of The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 can be found on the Health and Safety Executive’s website.

Source: Health and Safety Executive

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