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

• – Assess the risks to employees from noise at work;
• – Take action to reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks;
• – Provide employees with hearing protection if the noise exposure cannot be reduced enough by using other methods;
• – Make sure the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded;
• – Provide 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, or making an informed choice to go to noisy places;
• – Low-level noise that is a nuisance but causes no risk of hearing damage.

The Noise Regulations require employers to take specific action at certain action values – these relate to:

• – The levels of exposure to noise of employees averaged over a working day or week.
• – The maximum noise (peak sound pressure) to which employees are exposed in a working day.

Table of Action Values:

Follow the link to view the Health & Safety Executive’s official guidance on control of noise at work: http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/index.htm

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 10th, 2016 at 9:54 am and is filed under Soundproofing News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.