Ear defenders issued. Noise controlled? Not yet.

A current HSE campaign. An existing duty.

HSE’s current Noise and Vibration campaign is reminding employers to assess, control and protect. The campaign is new; the legal duties are not.

Across Great Britain, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to prevent or reduce risks from exposure to noise. HSE says employers must assess the risk, reduce exposure, provide information and training, arrange health surveillance where required, and provide hearing protection where remaining exposure demands it.

Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus can be permanent. Damage can build before somebody notices a clear problem, which is why waiting for complaints is not a control strategy.

What do 80 dB and 85 dB actually mean?

The figures refer to a worker’s daily or weekly personal exposure, not one quick reading beside a machine. Task noise, duration and the rest of the shift all matter.

Peak sound pressure values also apply. For the complete thresholds and duties, use HSE’s employer guidance on noise at work and a competent assessment of your activities.

Control the noise before choosing the earmuff

Start with the noisy task. Could a quieter process or machine do the work? Can vibration or impact be reduced? Would enclosure, isolation, damping or a different layout stop noise spreading? Is worn tooling, loose guarding or poor maintenance making the equipment louder?

Then look at organisation. Keep people who do not need to be there away from the noisy area. Plan the task so fewer people are exposed and exposure time is reduced. Avoid moving one worker away only to expose somebody else.

HSE’s hearing-protection guidance is clear that hearing protection should not be used as an alternative to technical and organisational controls. It must also fit the task, the user and any other PPE.

Check the protection that remains

If hearing protection is required, “one type fits everyone” is rarely a strong approach. Check the noise level and frequency, comfort, hygiene, compatibility with eye or respiratory protection, and whether the selected protector reduces exposure enough without overprotecting the wearer.

Too much attenuation can make communication and warning signals difficult. Too little leaves hearing at risk. Long hair, spectacles, hats and poorly seated seals can also reduce the protection achieved by earmuffs.

Supervisors should know where protection is mandatory, wear it themselves, check its condition and act when it is not being used correctly. A sign without consistent supervision quickly becomes wallpaper.

A six-point workshop noise check

1. List the noisy tasks. Include cleaning, maintenance, testing and short-duration jobs, not only normal production.
2. Identify everyone exposed. Consider operators, nearby workers, maintenance staff, contractors and trainees.
3. Check the evidence. Review the assessment, measurements, machine data, shift pattern and any changes since it was completed.
4. Walk the control hierarchy. Record what can be eliminated, substituted, enclosed, isolated, maintained or rescheduled.
5. Inspect the PPE and zones. Check suitability, fit, condition, signage, access and supervision.
6. Review health surveillance. Confirm who needs hearing checks, how results are followed up and whether findings point to control failures.

Health surveillance is not a substitute for control. Where it is required, it can identify early signs of harm and help test whether arrangements are effective. SIUK’s employee health surveillance and audiometry support may form part of the wider arrangements.

Questions engineering managers ask

Can a phone app complete our noise assessment?

A phone can help flag that noise may be a problem, but it is not automatically a suitable instrument for a legally adequate exposure assessment. Where reliable exposure data is needed, use competent advice and appropriate calibrated equipment.

Do we need hearing tests for everyone?

Not automatically. HSE says noise health surveillance is required where exposure is above the upper action value, or between the lower and upper values where a worker may be particularly sensitive or otherwise at increased risk. Base the programme on the assessment.

Does issuing high-SNR earmuffs solve the problem?

No. They may overprotect, interfere with other PPE or be worn incorrectly. Select protection for the measured risk and the real task, after reducing noise by other reasonably practicable means.