Controlling the risks of occupational noise exposure

Sadly, damage to hearing caused by working in noisy environments, is far too common. According to estimates from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the UK’s independent regulator for work-related health, safety and illness, approximately 170,000 individuals in Britain suffer from hearing loss and other ear-related problems, such as tinnitus, due to prolonged exposure to dangerous levels of sound.

To help decrease the risk of workers suffering from hearing problems due to occupational noise exposure, legislation is in place to ensure employees do not exceed the sound exposure levels deemed as safe.

Controlling the risk

The Noise Regulations 2005 are aimed at ensuring individuals do not suffer damage to their hearing by exceeding average sound levels and being exposed to noise decibels considered dangerous.

If a business environment does have areas which surpass the average sound exposure level that is considered as being dangerous, the employer should endeavour to use quieter machinery, alternative processes and generally working methods that ensure workers are not exposed to levels of noise that exceed average sound levels deemed as being potentially damaging to the hearing.

Average noise dose measuring with noise exposure ready-reckoners

One way to estimate average noise dose exposure is through ready-reckoners. Noise exposure ready-reckoners enable employers, health and safety executives, or anybody with an interest in average sound levels, to estimate their weekly or daily noise exposure levels.

In order to use a daily exposure ready-reckoner, the person measuring the noise exposure levels will need to have knowledge of, not only the levels of noise a person is exposed to during a working day, but also the duration of the average noise dose.

In terms of weekly noise exposure ready-reckoners, a person’s average sound exposure levels will need to be known for every day of the working week.

How do you measure average sound levels?

Noise levels are measured in decibels dB(A). Different sounds have different decibel levels. For example, a quiet room would be approximately 20 dB(A), a typical conversation between two people would be around 60 dB(A), whilst an aeroplane taking off approximately 25 metres away, would be around 140 dB(A).

Lower and upper exposure action values

If average noise dose exposure exceeds certain levels, action is required. These levels are known as a lower exposure action value of a daily or weekly average sound level exposure of 80 dB(A), and an upper exposure action value of a daily or weekly exposure of 85 dB(A).

An employer must, by law, provide employees with information about the risk and what types of measures can be implemented to protect hearing in the workplace if noise levels are found to be of lower exposure action values. If higher exposure action values are measured, the regulations state that hearing protection must be provided by the employer and worn by the employee and it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure this happens. Every effort must also be carried out by the employer to reduce noise levels at work, including modifying or changing equipment and machinery to less noisy alternatives.