Noise Risk Assessments at the South and West Wales Safety Group

Noise Risk Assessments: the whys and hows of performing noise exposure testing in the workplace

Research suggests that in the UK, almost two million of the 12 million adults living with hearing loss suffered this impairment because of exposure to harmful noise in the workplace. Whether that ringing tinnitus after leaving a noisy environment, or sudden high-volume sounds which cause irreversible Noise-induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), workplaces are obligated to protect their employees from such irreparable damage to their hearing.

Businesses which operate in loud work environments above 85Db should perform a noise risk assessment – this not only rptoects the health of their employees but guards against absenteeism and increases productivity.

Below, Acoustic Ltd outline workplace noise assessment, including the purpose of a risk assessment, as well as how to perform them.

We were invited to present at a workshop on Noise Risk Assessments at the South and West Wales Safety Group. 

The multi award-winning Group is in its 75th year, and comprises a mix of different companies, including housing associations, contractors and local authorities. The members present were the key decision makers in health and safety at the mixed group of businesses they represented.

Blake Lucas provided a presentation to the group at the Mercure Hotel in Swansea. The presentation was on noise in general terms, the Noise Risk Assessments process, including the obligations as an employer, processes involved with completing a compliant Health and Safety Noise at Work Assessment, and what measures should be put in place to control the adverse effects of noise on your employees and reduce your risk as an employer. The workshop and presentation was received well, with plenty of questions from the floor.

The presentation was completed in conjunction with Imperial Hearing and Protect Hear. As part of the workshop, Protect Hear provided a detailed presentation on hearing protection and the benefits of moulded hearing protection over disposables and ear muffs. Imperial Hearing delivered presentations on the damaging effects of noise, Noise Induced Hearing Loss, and included the causes and effects (and the legal risk associated) with being an employer with employees in a noisy environment.

As part of the Q&A session, we gained a valuable understanding of the Noise at Work Assessments completed by each employer, and what measures they currently had in place to minimise any adverse effects of noise on their employees. We also provided valuable advice on methods to protect employees, and improve the quality of their in-house Noise at Work (or Noise Risk) Assessments. This includes ensuring the assessments are completed by a competent individual (IOA members or IOA Trained) and ensuring their equipment was High Quality (Type/Class 1 or 2) and regularly calibrated by competent Laboratories.

What is a workplace Noise Risk Assessment?

Loud noise, whether one-off or prolonged, can severely and detrimentally impact hearing. Workplaces which expose their employees to such sound levels (above 85DbA, about the level of a food blender or heavy traffic) are obligated to perform workplace noise assessment and noise exposure testing, to protect their employees for the future.

Protecting employees in this way is a crucial step along the road to healthier workplace safety cultures, encouraging responsible practice amongst employees and protecting them. The employer must “assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to noise”, ensuring that “hearing protection is provided and used”, “any other controls are properly used”, and “you provide information, training, and health surveillance”. Where risks are low, solutions will likely be simple and affordable, but high risk levels mean you should prioritise your noise-control action plan. 

An Occupational Noise Assessment Report should summarise the results of your noise risk assessment. It should involve:

• Parameters including surveyor details, equipment used, the date, the time, etc.
• Noise Survey Data, including the source of the noise, the location, the equipment used, and the level of the noise. 
• Exposure times and levels, and analysis of these in terms of regulatory guidance
• Suggest measures to designate Hearing Protection zones, to lower noise levels, and to minimise risks to employees
• Report an action plan for employee training to ensure ongoing wellbeing and health

Factors of an Environmental Noise Assessment

To gauge the impact of noise, Environmental Noise Assessment will factor in:

• Noise source
• Noise levels
• Distance attenuation
• Weather conditions
• Background noise levels
• Receptor sensitivity

These factors help an Environmental Noise Assessment forecast the noise’s impact and work out where mitigation will be needed.

What is BS4142 Noise Assessment?

BS 4142:2014 is a British standard for noise assessment. These guidelines are for planning and development projects near the existing noise sources of traffic. Sound unrelated to workplace noise? Certain businesses can employ this BS code to gauge how their noise is impacting the local residents and community.

What is BS8233 Noise Assessment?

BS 8233:2014 meanwhile is a guideline for looking specifically at workplace sound pressure levels. Qualified surveyors use this for workplace noise risk assessments.

What is PPG24 Noise Assessment?

Issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities in 1994, Planning Practice Guidance 24 (PPG24), is a non-statutory document that is nevertheless a valuable source of information for local authorities and developers when considering the noise impact of new planning applications.

Is a Workplace Noise Risk Assessment different to a Noise Monitoring Survey?

Yes it is. Where a Survey monitors sound levels in specific zones and focusses on noise exposure readings and data, without solutions,, a workplace noise risk assessment helps you adhere to noise health and safety regulations by:

• Identifying noise exposure risks
• Focussing on exposure levels, noise sources, and health risks
• Establishing control and safety measures and staff training on using protective gear

The main reason to perform a workplace noise assessment is to protect employees from the permanent hearing loss caused by exposure at work.

At Acoustic Consultants Limited all our employees are competent (minimum of TechIOA) at Noise at Work or Noise Risk Assessments and benefit from in house training, external courses and mentoring by senior consultants. Our equipment is all Class 1 and calibrated regularly by competent Laboratories. Over the last 30 years we have completed hundreds of Noise at Work and Noise Risk Assessments and are aware of what is realistically required. So if you have a Noise Risk concern please get in touch.