Exposure to excessive noise levels and the risks of falling victim to noise induced hearing loss are still as hazardous today in an outside environment as it is working within the enclosed space of an engineering works, assembly plant or similar factory floor. Especially if you are a driver of a HGV truck, large plant, earth excavator, etc.

Recent published research found that a major cause of temporary hearing loss, which can become permanent industrial deafness, involves the effect excessive noise levels have upon the hearing threshold frequencies of between 500 and 8,000 Hz.

Noise is an inevitable consequence of driving large transport vehicles and working with large plant in quarry excavation, recycling, landfill, construction, demolition, transportation, etc. Other types of noise generating procedures can include the removal of soil, aggregate, reinforced concrete, and crushing and grading at a processing plant.

A survey of heavy truck drivers revealed that at a hearing threshold level greater than the normal hearing level of 25 dB, at the mid frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000 Hz, there was nearly 10 per cent hearing loss in the left ear and over 12 per cent in the right ear. In the higher frequencies of between 4,000 and 8,000 Hz, hearing loss increased to 45 per cent in both ears.

The research suggests that hearing damage is likely to inflict hearing loss earlier to commercial vehicle / heavy goods drivers at 4,000 and 8,000 Hz than at lower frequencies with driver working conditions often similar to inside environments that give rise to industrial deafness. In addition, there was a high probability that the excessive noise levels would have equal, harmful effect in both ears at hearing thresholds in all frequencies, especially at 4,000 Hz.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2006 states that exposure limit values of 87dBA (daily exposure) and 140 dBC (peak noise), must not be exceeded. There is a legal requirement to provide health surveillance where there is a risk to health and it is an employer’s responsibility from ‘Duties Arising from the Assessment’ to not permit an employee to be exposed above the Exposure Limit values.

Adequate hearing protection must be supplied and awareness training given to the workforce in order to ensure that noise-control measures and hearing protection are fully and properly used and maintained.