ADVICE ON MANAGING NOISE RISKS AT WORK
A series of blog articles giving advice on managing noise risks in UK workplaces for compliance with the UK’s Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, from 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
For a specific subject area, try the search box
Short subject-specific advice on various aspects of managing noise safety at work.
All advice and articles 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 and on the HSE’s L108, Controlling Noise at Work (Third Edition).
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.