Advice on managing noise risks in UK workplaces for compliance with the UK’s Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005,

All articles written by an experienced occupational noise assessor.

Managing noise risks at work, all about noise assessments, selecting hearing protection and issues experienced with hearing protection, training and legislative needs, health surveillance issues and how to practically manage it.

Noise assessments ● Noise surveys ● Hearing protection ● Health surveillance ● Noise Training

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All the following pages of advice are written by me, The Noise Chap, a specialist noise assessor with over 30 years of experience in workplace noise assessment, including 20+ years now as a noise assessment consultant working in all industries across the UK.

I hold certification of competence in workplace noise assessment from the Institute of Acoustics, the NEBOSH Diploma and am certified in workplace hearing testing and a member of the British Society of Audiology.

The articles cover the noise assessment process itself and how to manage various aspects of managing workplace noise risks, including health surveillance and hearing protection, delving into very specific questions such as hearing protection for workers with pre-existing hearing losses, and including practical advice and examples to help employers comply with the Control of Noise At Work Regulations 2005.

All content is based on UK law on workplace noise and on the HSE’s L108, Controlling Noise at Work (Third Edition).

Hearing protection at work

Although the last control action listed in the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, practically it is a step every workplace with a noise risk needs to take but can get a little complicated to manage as you delve deeper into it. These articles cover issues such as how to choose the right hearing protection, managing claims of an exemption from using it, whether forklift drivers need to wear hearing protection, etc.

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How long does hearing protection last?

Most hearing protection does have a set life expectancy and will ‘expire’ after a set time, even if not in use. A typical shelf life for hearing protection is five years, or lower for more budget options. This is how long hearing protection can last for before needing to be replaced.

Requirements for checking hearing protection condition

When it comes to noise assessments, managing noise risks and issuing hearing protection, employers need to monitor and enforce usage but also importantly have a system in place for checking the hearing protection is still suitable for use and is not deteriorating or damaged.

Over-protection in hearing protection - why stronger isn’t always safer

Over-protection often comes from well-meaning employers buying the strongest hearing protection they can find - hearing protection with the highest SNR. They mean well but it often actually increases risk and for the employer, means more of the money they spend on hearing protection is wasted.

Comparing methods for selecting hearing protection - SNR, HML and Octave Bands.

A need for hearing protection is a common outcome of a noise assessment or a noise survey but how do you choose the right hearing protection for your noise risk, especially as 'strongest is best' is usually not the case.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 as hearing protection at work

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 and their EN 352 certified hearing protection function are a potential game-changer in terms of what is possible with hearing protection. This is an overview of their use as hearing protection at work in the UK, my thoughts on them after trying them on noise assessments, and a comparison to the current best-in-the-business for Bluetooth hearing protection, ISOTunes.

Can music headphones be used at work?

Can someone use noise cancelling headphones in place of hearing protection in a high noise environment? For most headphones, no, they cannot be used as hearing protection. An exception is the Apple AirPods Pro 3 which do have an EN 352 certified SNR.

Standards for hearing protection at work - EN 352 and its revisions

Hearing protection for use at work must be certified to EN 352. This is a dive into what EN 352 means, what the various revisions of it are and which ones are now defunct, and which are the current standards for hearing protection.

Are medical exemptions possible from a need to wear hearing protection?

It is common to hear someone claim a medical exemption from the need to wear hearing protection at work, sometimes backed up with a note or letter from a GP, or sometimes self-claimed, but are medical exemptions from the need to wear hearing protection possible?

What to do if someone refuses to wear hearing protection.

In a noise assessment, it is common to hear a comment along the lines of ‘we’ve given them hearing protection and told them to wear it, so what else can we do’, but that is not the end of the employer’s obligations for hearing protection.

Wearing double hearing protection

A common recommendation from Occupational Health Physicians is ‘recommend wear double hearing protection’. What they are saying is that the person concerned wears two sets of hearing protection but this often has no link to the findings of the noise assessment.

Reusing foam ear plugs multiple times

Disposable ear plugs have a low per-pair cost but that cost can soon mount up and it is tempting for employers to limit how many pairs people can use in a given period. This is not a good approach, cannot be done and is poor for safety.

Loop ear plugs as hearing protection at work

Loop have emerged recently as one of the new entrants in the hearing protection market, with a lot of their marketing focused on social media. There are a lot of these types of company popping up these days but in Loop’s case their claims for their ear plugs are intriguing, so I decided to give a couple of styles a try.

Hearing aid users and hearing protection in high noise areas

A common issue following a noise assessment concerns people who wear hearing aids but who also work in a high noise area so fall into the requirements for hearing protection to be worn. This is some advice on how to manage it.

Is the price of hearing protection linked to how good it is?

Hearing protection comes in a very wide range of prices, but is price consistent with ‘better’ hearing protection?

Can disclaimers be used to not wear hearing protection?

Often people offer to sign a disclaimer saying they accept the risk of hearing damage from not wearing protection, or they produce a letter from a doctor saying they do not have to wear it, but both are no good.

Do ear plugs cause infections?

Sometimes people will say using ear plugs causes them to get ear infections, but do ear plugs actually cause infections? Short answer, no. Dirty hands putting them in, that can cause an infection, but not the plugs themselves.

Do forklift drivers have to wear hearing protection?

There is no exemption from the need to wear hearing protection for forklift drivers. High noise will have the same impact on them as on any other person. Their hearing will still be damaged by noise.

Can ear plugs cause tinnitus?

Can wearing ear plugs cause tinnitus when worn all day in a factory?

Noise assessments / Noise surveys

Breaking down the noise assessment process into the legal obligations on employers in the UK for noise safety such as how does an employer know they need to do a noise assessment, what a noise assessment covers, a noise assessment vs a noise risk assessment, how long a noise assessment takes, type of noise meters which may be used, dB(A) versus dB(C) in noise assessments, etc.

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Noise levels vs exposure time

The UK’s Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 give 85 dB(A) as the main noise exposure limit, but that is 85 dB(A0 averaged over eight hours, not a single instance of exceeding it. This is an overview of how noise levels relate to exposure time.

How often you need to repeat a noise assessment

A noise assessment does need to be reviewed or repeated from scratch sometimes, but you don’t always have to get someone in to do it. This is guidance on when to review a noise assessment or get a new noise assessment done.

Noise risk assessment vs Noise assessment vs Noise Survey

Noise survey vs noise assessment vs noise risk assessment - what do they all mean, what is the difference between them and what do employers need to have in place?

dB(A) and dB(C) data in noise assessments

In a noise assessment you will see a few different types of noise data presented and it can seem a little baffling. Noise is measured in decibels, but not all decibels are the same, that would be far too easy.

How do you know if you need a noise assessment?

Now that is a good question, the Noise Regs require an employer to do a noise assessment if they think there is a noise risk, but how do you know you have a noise risk without doing a noise assessment…?

How useful is manufacturer’s data on noise levels in a noise assessment?

Manufacturers of tools and equipment have an obligation to make data available on the expected noise level for their product. The HSE latch on to this and list this as a source of information which employers could use in deciding if there is a noise risk in the workplace?

Noise assessments - how it works on the day

How a noise assessment works on the day - what a client can expect. Covering everything from arrival on the site to measuring the noise levels and what a client needs to do.

Types of noise meter used in a noise assessment

There are two basic types of noise meter, hand-held and wearable, (also called dosimeters or dosimeters). Wearables have a use but care is needed with them, especially if they are going to be used as the primary means of gathering data in a noise assessment.

How long should a noise assessment take?

A common question is how long a noise assessment will take on a site. It is influenced by a few things such as variation in work on the site, production cycles and number of people present. These are the factors influencing how long a noise assessment takes place on the day.

The employer’s obligations for noise safety

Employers must manage noise risks in their workplace, but what they need to do depends on how loud it is. This describes what is needed depending on the findings of a noise assessment.

Doing your own noise assessment

There is a temptation when told you need something as nebulous as a noise assessment to buy a cheap noise meter off somewhere like Amazon and crack on yourselves. It is of course possible to do a noise assessment yourself and these are the main point to watch out for and make sure you cover.

Noise assessments for non-routine jobs.

The Noise Regs focus on daily average noise risk levels for staff, but for some workplaces such as joinery workshops or small metal fabrication businesses, the daily variation in the work is such that an average noise exposure level on one day has no relevant to any others.

Health surveillance / hearing testing at work

Some specific advice on the hearing health surveillance requirements such as who to include in your hearing testing programme, dealing with Agency staff, what an employer should do if someone misses their hearing test, how often hearing testing is needed and what hearing test results Categories in L108 Controlling Noise at Work mean.

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What do the hearing test result categories mean?

Part of a noise assessment is to identify who needs to be included in a hearing testing programme, and the HSE specify the result categories to be used. This is what the categories are and what they mean.

Who should be included in hearing testing at work

The UK’s Noise Regs require anyone who is regularly exposed at work to a daily noise level of 85 dB(A) or above, or who meets the 137 dB(C) peak limit or above, to be included in a hearing health surveillance programme, or as it often more colloquially called, hearing testing. Getting the right people involved is important.

What hearing damage from noise sounds like

Sometimes the best way to appreciate how too much noise can damage hearing is to listen to the effects. This goes through various levels of hearing loss due to noise, applying filters to a piece of music to show how it impacts on clarity as well as volume.

How often does hearing testing have to be done?

One of the key elements of a noise assessment is identifying who needs to be included in what the HSE call ‘health surveillance’, a slightly Orwellian way of saying ‘hearing testing’. It has to be repeated and this is a guide to how often.

Responsibility for hearing testing in Agency staff

One of the main outcomes from a noise assessment is often a need for health surveillance - hearing testing - and that applies to everyone regularly exposed to levels over 85 dB(A). Where it can get a little more complicated is agency staff, especially who is responsible for the hearing tests.

Other articles and information on noise risks

General noise related questions and issues such as noise safety in offices, whether self-illuminated noise safety signs are any use, what the noise training requirements are for employers and also Including some non-workplace noises such as riding motorcycles or loud music.

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Hand dryer noise levels

If you have ever used a hand dryer in a toilet and thought that it sounds very loud then you are likely correct. These are some noise levels from various hand dryers.

What is a ‘Buy Quiet’ policy?

The Noise Regs say that employers should choose tools or equipment which have the lowest noise levels, and the HSE expand on this by saying employers should have a Buy Quiet purchasing policy, but what does this mean?

Noise safety training requirements following a noise assessment

A noise assessment will measure your noise risk levels, and anyone who has a noise exposure of 80 dB(A) or 135 dB(C) or more has to be included in a noise safety training programme. The HSE are very specific on what the noise safety training provided by employer should include.

Stereo or music noise in the workplace

Stereos at work can be important for employees, but when can you have stereos and when should they not be permitted, and how loud should stereos be at work?

Are noise-sensing illuminated signs any use for noise safety?

The short answer is no, illuminated noise safety signs are not useful, and in many cases simply mislead. They have no part in a noise assessment. The article explains more about why this is the case.

Driving for work and noise exposures

One of the grey areas of noise safety is noise exposure while driving for work. By drivers I mean anyone driving as part of their job so the obvious ones like van or HGV drivers, but also driving around in a car or van - managers on site visits, sales reps, any person driving between sites or to customer sites, etc.

Noise levels in an office

A common question which comes up on noise assessments is what classes a dangerous noise in an office environment, with people asking what the safe levels are for noise in offices. The issue is often more about distracting noise rather than dangerous noise.

Risks to pregnant women and unborn babies from high noise

A client recently asked me if pregnant women are OK to work in an environment with a noise level which is considered ‘high’, so over 85 dB(A), or whether the noise can cause risk to either the pregnancy or foetus. That was an interesting one so I looked into it further.

Best hearing protection for riding a motorbike?

Noise levels can be very high when riding a motorbike - easily in the mid-90s dB(A) which can damage hearing. Ear plugs need to be enough to remove some of the noise but not isolate you from traffic, and they need to be soft and not painful under the helmet. These are some recommendations.

Best hearing protection for sleeping

This is a common question for hearing protection, be it due to external noise from life in a town or city, shift workers trying to sleep when everyone else is awake, trying to sleep in hotels, or just with a partner who snores a lot.

Best hearing protection for loud music?

Music can damage hearing just as much as other loud noise but this is one noise you probably do want to experience. This is a guide on hearing protection for music, be it attending concerts or playing as a musician - protection which will guard against hearing damage while letting the music sound natural.

Advice on managing noise risks in UK workplaces for compliance with the UK’s Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005,

All articles written by an experienced occupational noise assessor.

Hearing protection at work

Noise assessments / Noise surveys

Health surveillance / hearing testing at work

Other articles and information on noise risks

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