Do I have a noise problem at work? This will depend on how loud the noise is and how long people are exposed to it. You will probably need to do something about the noise if any of the following apply: Is the noise intrusive – like a busy street, a vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant – for most of the working day? Do your employees have to raise their voices to carry out a normal conversation when about 2 m apart for at least part of the day? Do your employees use noisy powered tools or machinery for more than half an hour each day? Do you work in a noisy industry, e.g. construction, demolition or road repair; woodworking; plastics processing; engineering; textile manufacture; general fabrication; forging, pressing or stamping; paper or board making; canning or bottling; foundries? Are there noises due to impacts (such as hammering, drop forging, pneumatic impact tools etc), explosive sources such as cartridge-operated tools or detonators, or guns?
Noise can also be a safety hazard at work, interfering with communication and making warnings harder to hear. |
WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES
Where noise exposure exceeds lower action values an employer must make individual hearing protectors available and an employee whose exposure equals or exceeds the upper action values must use individual hearing protections.
The regulations set what are termed as ‘exposure action values’ i.e. the level of exposure which if exceeded requires specific action to be taken to reduce risk. Also ‘exposure limit values’ which are the levels of daily exposure which must not be exceeded for any employee. An employer must ensure that the risk arising from exposure of his or her employees to noise or vibration is either eliminated at source or reduced to a minimum. Where employees are likely to be exposed at or above a lower action value an employer must make a suitable and appropriate assessment of risk. Copies of both regulations can be downloaded from the HSA website at www.hsa.ie.
NOISE EXPOSURE LIMITS
Noise is measured in decibels (dB). An ‘A-weighting’ sometimes written as ‘dB(A)’, is used to measure average noise levels, and a ‘C-weighting’ or ‘dB(C)’, to measure peak, impact or explosive noises.
The Noise Regulations require you to take specific action at certain action values. These relate to 1) the levels of exposure to noise of your employees averaged over a working day or week; and 2) the maximum noise (peak sound pressure) to which employees are exposed in a working day. The values are:
There are also levels of noise exposure which must not be exceeded:
These exposure limit values take account of any reduction in exposure provided by hearing protection.
RISK ASSESSMENTS
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions in the section ‘Do I have a noise problem at work’, you will need to assess the risks to decide whether any further action is needed, and plan how you will do it.
The aim of the risk assessment is to help you decide what you need to do to ensure the health and safety of your employees who are exposed to noise. Your risk assessment should:
identify were there may be a risk from noise and who is likely to be affected;
contain a reliable estimate of your employees’ exposures, and compare the exposure with the exposure action values and limit values;
identify what you need to do to comply with the law, e.g. whether noise-control measures or hearing protection are needed, and, if so, where and what type; and
identify any employees who need to be provided with health surveillance and whether any are at particular risk.
It is essential that you can show that your estimate of employees’ exposure is representative of the work that they do. It needs to take account of:
the work they do or are likely to do;
the ways in which they do the work; and
how it might vary from one day to the next.
Your estimate must be based on reliable information, e.g. measurements in your own workplace, information from other workplaces similar to yours, or data from suppliers of machinery.
You must record the findings of your risk assessment together with the necessary precautions. These precautions may include..
Use a different, quieter process or quieter equipment,
Introduce engineering controls
Modify the paths by which the noise travels through the air to the people exposed
Design and lay out the workplace for low noise emission
Limit the time spent in noisy areas – every halving of the time spent in a noisy area will reduce noise exposure by 3 dB.
Proper and regular maintenance of machinery and equipment is essential as it will deteriorate with age and can become noisier. Listen out for changes in noise levels – it may be time to replace worn or faulty parts.
MEASUREMENT & ONGOING MONITORING OF NOISE
Where your own basic Risk Assessment indicated that noise levels are close to, or greater than, the Lower Exposure Limit Value the need for measurement and monitoring of noise levels is indicated.
Our measuring and monitoring services include...
Daily noise exposure levels for different work activities, work stations, tools. equipment, etc.,
Weekly noise exposure levels, where daily noise exposure varies markedly from one working day to the next,
Comparison of noise exposure frequencies against different types of ear protector (selection and/or check on protector's effectiveness)
COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN REPORT
We provide a written Report in all instances which will detail...
Methods used and results obtained
Risk Assessment including comparison of noise levels against Lower Exposure Action Values (EAVlwr), Upper Exposure Action Values (EAVupr) and Exposure Limit Values (ELV)
Recommended Controls/Precautions, including the selection of appropriate ear protectors.
The Report will aid in demonstrating that you, as an employer, have fulfilled your obligation under health & Safety Law to do 'all that is reasonably practicable' to create and maintain a safe workplace.
