Both temporary and permanent hearing damage are almost invariably caused by company negligence to ensure the enforcement of statutory Health & Safety precautions. Where every effort is made and ear protection is provided, in some instances, workers may only partly wear the protection. Complying with the guidance would have prevented excessive noise levels at workplace premises, leading to workers being permanently disabled by noise induced hearing loss.
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2006 stipulates that the two action values for daily noise exposure are 85 dBA and 80 dBA, respectively and two action values for peak noise are 135 dBC and 137dBC, respectively. Exposure limit values of 87dBA (daily exposure) and 140 dBC (peak noise), which take account of the wearing of hearing protection must not be exceeded.
There is a specific requirement to provide health surveillance where there is a risk to health and the possibility of suffering industrial deafness. A number of duties arise from the assessment of suspected excessive noise areas, as contained in the following extracts.
Duties Arising from the Assessment
When employees are liable to be exposed to noise at or above a lower exposure action value, employers must make a ‘suitable and sufficient assessment’ of the risk from noise to the health and safety of those employees.
A suitable and sufficient assessment includes identifying where there may be a risk from noise and who is likely to be affected, and the measures necessary to eliminate risks and exposures or reduce them to as low a level as is reasonably practicable.
The employer should also prepare an action plan, together with a realistic time scale for achieving these controls. The risk assessment shall be reviewed when there has been a significant change in the work to which the assessment relates, new noisy machinery installed or altered work patterns.
Lower Exposure action value
If employees are exposed to noise levels at or above the Lower Exposure action value
-suitable hearing protectors must be made available.
-information and training must be provided.
-health surveillance should be provided where there is a risk to health.
Upper Exposure Action Value
If employees are exposed to noise levels at or above the Upper Exposure Action Value
– a programme of technical and/or organisational measures intended to reduce exposure to noise must be established and implemented (these measures cannot include hearing protection).
-marking, delimiting and restriction of access to areas is required; i.e. designation of Hearing Protection Zones.
-the provision and use of hearing protectors is mandatory.
-health surveillance must be provided.
-information and training must be provided.
Exposure Limit
Employers must not permit an employee to be exposed above the Exposure Limit values
If these values are exceeded:
-immediate action to reduce exposure is required.
-the reasons for over exposure must be addressed by reviewing the programme of control measures; i.e. technical and organisational controls.
-the adequacy of any hearing protection supplied and the systems in place to ensure that noise-control measures and hearing protection are fully and properly used and maintained.