Noise safety training requirements following a noise assessment

8 Apr

Key points for 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:

A screenshot of Regulation 10 which specifies exactly what training employees need for noise safety at work. — *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

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Despite ear plugs having quite a low per-pair cost, that cost can soon mount up and it is tempting for employers to limit how many pairs people can use in a given period, or the employees themselves choose to reuse them, but this is not always a good approach and can also be a false economy.

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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?

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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

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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.

Can music headphones be used at work?

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The employer’s obligations for noise safety

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Can disclaimers or GP letters be used to not wear hearing protection?

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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.

Driving for work and noise exposures

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Article last reviewed April 2026

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The Noise Chap

Website and blog articles written by Adam, The Noise Chap - an independent occupational noise assessor with over 30 years of experience, holding the IoA Certificate of Competence in Workplace Noise Assessment, the NEBOSH Diploma, certified in screening audiometry and a member of the British Society of Audiology.

https://www.thenoisechap.com/about-the-noise-chap

Noise safety training requirements following a noise assessment

Key points for noise safety training requirements at work

FAQ: Employee noise safety training

If I tell employees where to use hearing protection and issue it to them, is that enough?

If I training people in their Induction as a new starter, is that enough?

Do I have to tell employees that our noise levels are over the legal limits?

More help and advice on managing noise risks at work

Contact The Noise Chap

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