NOISE MONITORING
– if worker’s ears were to bleed, or if hearing loud sounds was a very painful instant experience. For those with the condition, it truly is all-encompassing.
“ACTION ON
HEARING LOSS REPORTS THAT THERE ARE
MORE THAN 11 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UK
WITH SOME FORM OF HEARING LOSS”
GET MONITORING Monitoring is key to preventing workplace NIHL and there are a range of solutions available depending on the risk and requirements of the environment in question. Taking on a new responsibility to tackle this can feel daunting. It can be effectively carried out by appropriately trained health and safety professionals, or occupational hygienists, both able to advise on key actions that must be taken to manage the monitoring programme going forward. Importantly, monitoring must be conducted in a way so that the comfort or productivity of the worker is not impacted.
Noise dosimeters are ideal for personal exposure monitoring whilst sound level meters can be used via walk-through surveys or area monitoring to check workface regulations. Environmental noise measurements can be taken over short, medium or long periods of time with hand held, semi permanent or permanent systems depending on the application.
The HSE states that if noise exposure reaches 80 decibels (dB), the equivalent of a telephone dial tone, employers are legally bound to start taking action. Workplace noise monitoring gives you this analysis and will ensure you are putting the right processes in process, protecting your workforce now from potentially developing NIHL in the future as a result of workplace conditions.
www.casellasolutions.com
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WHEN STARTING WORKPLACE NOISE MONITORING, YOU MUST ASK YOURSELF FIVE KEY QUESTIONS:
• What are the likely levels of noise in the workplace and their sources?
• What needs to be measured- personal noise exposure, noise from a particular machine or wider area monitoring?
• Is the noise source likely to be emitting significant high or low frequencies?
• What class of sound level meter do you require? Have you checked relevant legislation and guidance?
• How are you going to report your measurements and learn from them? 29
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