Do I need a workplace noise assessment? A complete guide

According to the British Safety Council, more than 2.3 million people in the UK are exposed to harmful levels of noise at work. Noise-induced hearing loss is the most commonly reported occupational disease in Europe, but it is also one of the most preventable.

UK employers have long had a duty to protect their employees from noise, yet regulations are poorly enforced. In this guide, we look at your noise monitoring obligations and how an expert occupational hygienist can help protect your workforce.

When workplace noise might be an issue

Noise may be an issue in the workplace if:

• There is intrusive noise for most of the working day. This is noise similar to a busy road, vacuum cleaner, or crowded restaurant.
• Employees have to raise their voices to have a normal conversation when they’re only about 2 m apart.
• Noisy powered tools or machinery are used for more than half an hour each day.
• There are noises due to impacts (such as hammering, drop forging, or pneumatic impact tools) or explosions.
• It is an industry that is particularly likely to involve noisy tasks, such as construction and demolition, road repair, engineering, manufacturing, or woodworking.

If any of these apply or if noise levels approach limits defined by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), you should carry out a risk assessment. This will confirm whether your employees’ health and safety is at risk and will determine what actions you need to take.

In order to evaluate the risks, you’ll need an understanding of noise exposure in your workplace.

What is noise exposure, and how is it measured?

Noise exposure is a combination of how loud the noise is (in decibels) and the length of time you’re exposed to it. The value may relate to a daily exposure, weekly exposure, or peak sound level. The UK HSE define:

• Lower action values for daily, weekly, and peak noise exposure.
• Upper action values for daily, weekly, and peak noise exposure.
• Daily, weekly, and peak noise exposure limits.

At the lower and upper action values, certain measures – such as controls, hearing protection, and information, instruction, and training – are required.

Exposure limit values must not be exceeded.

Knowledge of noise levels in your workplace is necessary to complete a noise risk assessment. It may be possible to acquire this knowledge from published information, such as HSE industry-specific guidance, similar workplaces, or data from suppliers of machinery.

However, if reliable sources are not available, and – critically – for peace of mind, the best option is a Workplace Noise Survey conducted by a qualified occupational hygienist. This provides information specific to your workplace and employees. A Cura Terrae occupational hygienist will also give expert advice on compliance with all regulations under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 apply wherever workers’ health and safety is at risk due to noise. They do not apply to non-workers, such as students, volunteers, or members of the public. These individuals are safeguarded by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which must be followed in addition to the Noise at Work Regulations.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, employees also have duties to protect their own health and safety in the workplace and that of anyone their work may affect, as well as to cooperate with employers in complying with health and safety legislation.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations require:

• Awareness of defined noise exposure values and whether they are – or are likely to be – exceeded (Regulation 4).
• If a noise problem is suspected, a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks should be carried out (Regulation 5).
• Noise exposure should be eliminated or controlled by reducing it to a level as low as is reasonably practicable (Regulation 6).
• Following noise-control measures, if additional protection is required, personal hearing protectors should be provided (Regulation 7).
• Equipment should be used correctly and maintained in working order, with any faults reported as soon as possible (Regulation 8).
• Employees who are at high risk should be placed under health surveillance and have their hearing tested regularly (Regulation 9).
• Information, instruction, and training should be provided to employees so that they understand why and how they should act (Regulation 10).

What should a noise risk assessment include?

As discussed, a noise risk assessment requires estimation of noise exposure in your workplace. You’ll need to compare this with the exposure action and limit values. You will also need to think about increases in exposure due to overtime, extended shifts, lunch or rest breaks. It can be difficult to determine what represents a typical day or week when it comes to noise exposure – our occupational hygienists can help you with this.

You will need to understand the sources of noise (e.g., pieces of equipment) and who might be affected, as well as identify anyone at particular risk, such as those with pre-existing hearing conditions or a family history of deafness. There is also the possibility for hand-transmitted vibration or certain chemicals to increase the risks of hearing damage. If mixed exposures might occur in your workplace, you will need to be alert to such interactions.

You must record your risk assessment and review it regularly, especially if: working practices, machinery, or shift patterns change; new noise-control techniques are introduced in the industry; health surveillance shows that controls are ineffective and employees’ hearing is being damaged; or previously cost-prohibitive control measures become affordable.

An additional aspect of the Noise at Work Regulations is competency. A risk assessment should be drawn up by someone who is competent and should use competent sources of information. Cura Terrae’s experienced and deeply-knowledgeable occupational hygienists can ensure this. Finally, a noise risk assessment should detail the measures you have or intend to take to address the risks identified.

Noise control and hearing protection

In UK occupational hygiene, measures in response to a health and safety risk typically occupy a hierarchy. Elimination of the hazard is at the top and should be prioritised. For noise, this could be adopting a different, quiet method of work, or completely isolating the source of noise from all workers.

After elimination, substitution is the next preferred means of control. Employers should consider re-equipping with quieter machinery and instituting a low-noise policy for equipment purchases or hire.

If substitution isn’t feasible, technical controls can be implemented. The UK HSE give examples of engineering controls for noise reduction:

• Avoiding metal-on-metal impacts by lining chutes with abrasion-resistant rubber and reducing drop heights.
• Adding material to reduce vibration of (“damp”) machine panels.
• Using antivibration mounts or flexible couplings to separate vibrating machinery or components from their surroundings.
• Fitting silencers to air exhausts and blowing nozzles.

Regular maintenance and lubrication of machinery is also key. Machinery will become noisier as it ages and deteriorates, so listen out for when you need to replace worn or faulty parts.

Finally, at the lower end of the hierarchy are organisational or administrative controls. These are far less effective and reliable than those discussed so far, and include layout of workspaces to distance individuals from noise sources, provision of quiet zones to give workers respite, and organising schedules and shifts so that there is rotation of those exposed and/or noisy machinery is operated when fewer people are around.

Personal hearing protection is the last line of defence. It is to be used only when noise control measures are not sufficient – it is not an alternative to them. Above the lower exposure action value, protectors should be provided to employees who request them. Above the upper action value, they are mandatory.

The type of hearing protector must be appropriate for the work being carried out. It must also be correctly worn and well maintained. Despite this and training for employees occupying their own regulations in the Control of Noise at Work legislation, the HSE has found serious gaps in implementation and widespread lack of knowledge on use and upkeep of hearing protection.

What are the effects of noise exposure?

Long-term exposure to noise or sudden, extremely loud noises can damage the hair and nerve cells in your inner ear, impairing their ability to send sound signals to the brain.

Damage from long-term exposure usually occurs gradually, without pain or obvious physical abnormalities, and it may only be when it combines with hearing loss due to ageing that an individual realises how poor their hearing has become.

Sometimes we experience temporary hearing impairment after leaving a noisy place. Although this should resolve after a few hours, if it occurs regularly, it is likely to result in permanent hearing damage.

Hearing loss can be extremely isolating and disabling. It can make social interactions difficult and affect a person’s awareness of their surroundings. This can lead to safety risks, at work or elsewhere. Hearing loss is also associated with early retirement and the development of dementia.

Noise exposure may also cause tinnitus, which is a persistent ringing, whistling, buzzing, or humming in the ears. This can impact a person’s wellbeing, including the quality of sleep that they get.

What is health surveillance?

Health surveillance is a programme of regular health checks (in this case, audiometric testing) performed by a competent person. Health surveillance allows for early identification of work-related ill health and for its progression to be prevented. It can also indicate whether controls are effective but is not a substitute for risk control measures.

Health surveillance should be implemented if workers are frequently exposed to noise levels above the upper action value and their health is at risk. It is also required for individuals who are particularly vulnerable, such as those with pre-existing hearing conditions or where mixed exposures may occur, e.g., noise and hand-arm vibration or certain chemicals, as this can increase the risk.

Get in touch

To ensure compliance with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and safeguard your employees against life-changing hearing damage, get in touch with our team of experienced, BOHS-registered occupational hygienists. We can:

• Measure noise exposure in your workplace with specialist instruments such as personal dosimeters and handheld sound level meters.
• Compare noise exposure with HSE action values and limits.
• Assess the sources of noise in your workplace, critical time periods for exposure, and workers’ ability to safely communicate and hear alarms.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of your existing control measures.
• Provide recommendations for further noise reduction, control measures, and the correct hearing protection.
• Combine data with expert observations in a tailored report for your organisation.

Contact our experts today.