Hi Hearing Protection & Workplace Noise!.

Hi Hearing Protection & Workplace Noise!. 

Hi Overview of the employers responsibilities regarding hearing protection and workplace noise.

The dangers of excessive noise levels at work are well documented. Not only does loud noise pose a threat to workers’ hearing; it can also impair their ability to hear alarms and warnings in emergency situations. Then there are the legal and financial implications for your company if taken to court over hearing loss claims. 

These risks may be well known and understood, but what exactly are the employers responsibilities regarding hearing protection and noise at work as opposed to those of health and safety officers and noise consultants?

In broad terms, the Noise Regulations 2005 (click link here to view further information on noise regulations by the HSE Website) require that you assess the risks that workplace noise poses to your employees. 

You must ‘take action’ to reduce the noise exposure that leads to these risks, and provide employees with hearing protection in cases where noise cannot be adequately reduced through other means.

However, such guidance on employers responsibilities regarding hearing protection is rather vague. 

How, specifically, does one assess the risks, and what exactly is this action that one must take in order to reduce workers’ noise exposure (if required) so that it is within safe limits?

Employers Responsibilities Regarding Noise at Work;

You should first of all identify any particular areas that might present a noise risk. 

For example, certain vehicles, tools and machines may be preventing workers from communicating as easily as they might. 

Work out who is likely to be affected, and with the help of a someone who has the competence to carry out noise assessments such as a health and safety officer or noise consultant, make reliable estimates of these employees’ exposures.

These estimates should then be compared with the noise exposure action levels and limit values. 

The action levels are those at which specific action needs to be taken, while the limit values are those which absolutely must not be exceeded. 

These values include both the average level of noise exposure over a working day or week, and the maximum noise level (peak sound pressure) to which employees can exposed in a working day.

Soundproofing Your Smart Idea's!.

Hi Download Resource Select; By Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Website; Noise; Don't Loose Your Hearing; Click Here To Download.