Noise safety training requirements following a noise assessment
Key points: Noise safety training requirements at work
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the Noise Regs) are very prescriptive on what the training must contain and lay out a specific syllabus. This is within the actual text of the Regulation, not just accompanying guidance.
Training is needed for any employee who regularly has a daily exposure of 80 dB(A) or 135 dB(C), or over.
Training must cover why noise is a risk and what it does to hearing, what is being done at work to control noise, what the legal limits are and what the noise levels are in the workplace, all about hearing protection such as types, when it is needed and how to use it, how to identify hearing damage from too much noise and information on things like health surveillance programmes.
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.
Noise training for employees is a lot more than giving hearing protection out and telling them when to wear it and the HSE are very specific on what the noise safety training provided by employer should include.
It is worth flagging that this does not have to be done in one-hit. You could choose to do it in one session but could also break it down into separate chunks of information in smaller batches. What is important is that you record when it was done, why was covered and who was included in it.
While a lot of the HSE’s statements on noise safety are given in the guidance to the regulations, the requirement for training and the content of it is in the regulation itself, (Regulation 10) meaning employers must follow it. The mandatory training elements are:
Regulation 10 - noise safety training
2(a) Nature of the risks
What noise does to hearing, why it is a problem. Explaining to them how noise damages hearing.
2(b) Organisation etc measures
What is being done to control risks by means other than hearing protection, so things like any job rotation, physical controls such as enclosures around certain machinery, choice of low-noise cutting heads, maintenance routines, etc.
2(c) Exposure limits
They need to be told about the 80 dB(A) and 85 dB(A) limits, and what they mean.
2(d) Noise risk assessment findings
What the key noise risk levels are on the site - the main bits from the noise assessment about how loud it is.
2(e) Hearing protection
The availability of hearing protection –types are available and the benefits of each. This must also include the safe use of them – how to fit and wear them and problems with things like hats, long hair, glasses, etc, along with where to get replacements, cleaning, where to store reusable protectors, checking them over and reporting problems.
2(f) Signs of hearing damage
How they can tell if their hearing is potentially getting damaged by noise and who to report it to.
2(g) Health surveillance
Telling them that anyone regularly exposed to levels over 85 dB(A) will be included in an audiometry programme and what that means.
2(h) How to control their exposures
For example, not removing hearing protection in high noise areas or correct use of a noise safety measures taken (e.g. always operating machines closed to enclose noise).
2(i) Audiometry results
If you have anonymous stats from previous tests these should be included.
FAQ: Employee noise safety training
If I tell employees where to use hearing protection and issue it to them, is that enough?
No, the mandatory training is a lot more than that and it must meet the syllabus as outlined in the Noise Regs and above.
If I training people in their Induction as a new starter, is that enough?
If you cover off the entire mandatory syllabus, then it would be, for a while anyway. Be aware that noise training is not a one-off and does need to be repeated though.
Do I have to tell employees that our noise levels are over the legal limits?
Yes, you have to tell them what the limits are and what the noise levels are which they may experience.
More help and advice on managing noise risks at work
Article last reviewed April 2026
