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 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.
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.
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 more often colloquially called, hearing testing. Getting the right people involved is important.
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.
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?
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.
Review: Loop ear plugs at work
Loop have emerged as one of the newer entrants in the hearing protection world with a lot of their marketing focused on social media, but is it marketing BS or does the Loop ear plug performance match up? I bought a couple of styles to try when out on noise assessments, to see how they perform for noise attenuation and for long-term comfort.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.