Control of noise at work regulations 2005

[edit] What are noise at work regulations?

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 came into force in April 2006, they replaced the Noise at Work Regulations of 1989. Incidentally the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Control of Noise at Work) Regulations 2007 came into force in February 2008.

In general the regulations were established under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and implemented European Council directive 2003/10/EC. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 replace the Noise at Work Regulations 1989.

The aim of the Noise Regulations is to ensure that workers' hearing is protected from excessive noise at their place of work, which could cause them to lose their hearing and/or to suffer from tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears). The regulations require employers to protect their employees from levels of noise that could cause them hearing damage.

[edit] What is required of employers?

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. Employees also have duties under the Regulations too. The Regulations require employers to:

• Assess the risks to your employees from noise at work;
• Take action to reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks;
• Provide your employees with hearing protection if you cannot reduce the noise exposure enough by using other methods;
• Make sure the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded;
• Provide your employees with information, instruction and training;
• Carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health.

The Regulations do not apply to members of the public exposed to noise from their non-work activities, making an informed choice to go to noisy places or low-level noise that is a nuisance but causes no risk of hearing damage.

[edit] What are the noise levels ?

The level at which employers must provide hearing protection and hearing protection zones is 85 dB(A) (daily or weekly average exposure) and the level at which employers must assess the risk to workers' health and provide them with information and training is 80 dB(A). There is also an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A), taking account of any reduction in exposure provided by hearing protection, above which workers must not be exposed.

The Noise Regulations require emploers 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.

These values are:

• lower exposure action values:
  • daily or weekly exposure of 80 dB(A)
  • peak sound pressure of 135 dB(C)
• upper exposure action values:
  • daily or weekly exposure of 85 dB(A)
  • peak sound pressure of 137 dB(C)

There are also levels of noise exposure which must not be exceeded. These are called exposure limit values:

• daily or weekly exposure of 87 dB(A)
• peak sound pressure of 140 dB(C)

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Airborne sound.
• Building acoustics.
• Decibel.
• Environmental health.
• Impact sound.
• Injuries on construction sites.
• Noise.
• Noise at Work Assessment.
• Noise level.
• Sound absorption.
• Sound frequency.
• Sound v noise.
• Structure-borne sound.
• What hours are construction sites allowed to operate?
• Workplace noise exposure estimator.

[edit] External links

https://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/regulations.htm