COMPASS ON HEALTH AND SAFETY NEWS
Workplace noise should always be taken seriously by employers
Noise at Work According to a Labour Force Survey, an
estimated 17,000 employees believe hearing problems were the most serious of their work related illnesses. Noise at work can cause hearing loss that
can be temporary or permanent. People often experience temporary
deafness after leaving a noisy place. Although hearing recovers within a few hours, this should not be ignored. It is a sign that if you continue to be exposed to the noise your hearing could be permanently damaged. Permanent hearing damage can be
caused immediately by sudden, extremely loud, explosive noises: e.g. from guns or cartridge-operated machines. But hearing loss is usually gradual,
because of prolonged exposure to noise. It may only be when damage caused by noise over the years combines with hearing loss due to ageing, that people realise how deaf they have become. This may mean their family complains about the television being too loud, they cannot keep up with conversations in a group, or they have trouble using the telephone. Eventually everything becomes muffled, and people find it difficult to catch sounds like
‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘s’, so they confuse similar words. Hearing loss is not the only problem.
People may develop tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears), a distressing condition which can lead to disturbed sleep. Young people can be damaged as easily as old. By law, the employer must assess and
identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to noise, in order to protect the hearing of employees. Where the risks are low, the actions taken may be simple and inexpensive, but where the risks
18
are high, they should be managed using a prioritised noise-control action plan. The aim of the risk
assessment is to help decide what is needed to ensure the health and safety of employees exposed to noise. Noise measuring equipment can be very useful in measuring noise levels and averaging out employee’s exposure over a working day. A risk assessment should: » Identify where there may be a risk from noise, and who is likely to be affected
» Contain a reliable estimate of employees’ exposures, and compare the exposure with the exposure action values and limit values
» Identify what is needed to comply with the law – e.g. whether noise-control measures, or hearing protection, are needed – and, if so, where and what type
» Identify any employees who need to be provided with health surveillance, and whether any are at particular risk.
It is essential the estimate of employees’
exposure is representative of the work that they do, taking account of: » The work they do, or are likely to do » The ways in which they do the work » How it might vary from one day to the next The estimate must be based on reliable
information – measurements in the workplace, a noise at work survey report, information from other similar workplaces, or data from suppliers of machinery. The findings of the risk assessment need
SHM December 2016 Issue 132
to be recorded, as does an action plan to show how the employee will comply with the law. This should set out what the employer has done, and is going to do, with the assigned timescales and responsibility. Where required, the employer should
ensure that: » Hearing protection is provided and used » Any other controls are properly used » Information, training and health surveillance is provided
» Review if anything changes that may affect the noise exposures
For more information on noise at work, or
to arrange for a noise survey of your premises, contact Debbie Williams:
dwilliams@compass-ms.co.uk
Debbie Williams CMIOSH RMaPS is Principal Safety Consultant at Compass Ltd. Debbie specialises in assisting private sector organisations within the construction, waste management and extractive industries. You can contact Debbie on 01257 482256 or email
dwilliams@compass-ms.co.uk
Register your email for news and updates at
www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64