The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (Noise Regulations 2005) require employers to prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work. The HSE has released some key guidelines in order for companies to ensure they are compliant with this legislation.
These include not only assessing the risks to your employees for noise at work but also making sure that the necessary actions are put in place to avoid these risks.
According to the HSE, Noise Regulations require you to take specific action at certain action values. These relate to:
- the levels of exposure to noise of your employees averaged over a working day or week; and
- the maximum noise (peak sound pressure) to which employees are exposed in a working day.
A risk assessment should be carried out by a trained body to help you comply with regulations and to suggest procedures should you be exceeding the accepted levels. Your risk assessment should:
- Identify where there may be a risk from noise and who is likely to be affected;
- Contain a reliable estimate of your employees’ exposures, and compare the exposure with the exposure action values and limit values;
- Identify what you need to do to comply with the law, eg whether noise-control measures or hearing protection are needed, and, if so, where and what type; and
- Identify any employees who need to be provided with health surveillance and whether any are at particular risk.
Your risk assessment and subsequent actions should be drawn up by a competent and independent professional like Safety First Group Ltd.
Safety First professionals have extensive experience in measuring and analysing environmental noise from wide-ranging sectors, including industrial, construction, road traffic, and entertainment. We propose recommendations in our detailed reports, which we aim to deliver to clients within 25 working days.
To learn more about Environmental Noise Assessments, please visit https://www.safetyfirstgroup.co.uk/services/environmental-noise-assessment/ Alternatively, please call 0845 004 2133 or email enquiries@safetyfirstgroup.co.uk
