Noise - Stage 5: Manage remaining risk

You can manage any remaining health risks by using a range of measures such as personal protective equipment (PPE), information, health surveillance and routine monitoring.

Work schedules

Job rotation can be used to share a noise exposure between several people, eg:

• limit the time that each worker is exposed to noise;
• where tools require continual or frequent use, introduce rotas to limit individual exposure times;
• ‘weekly averaging' may be used to ensure that exposures are managed; include ‘quiet days' in the rotas.

Note: Rotation away from one tool may mean that the worker is exposed to another noisy tool or to high background noise.

Effective job rotation is more complex if workers use more than one tool or process that involves a noise exposure.

Hearing protection

Generally, two types of hearing protection are available - ear defenders or ‘muffs', and ear plugs - and there is plenty of choice. Different products may not offer the same level of protection - when purchasing PPE check the product information for details.

• More about hearing protection

Information, instruction and training

What do I need to tell my employees?

Workers need to understand the risks of noise exposure. Where workers are exposed above the lower exposure action values you should at least tell them:

• the likely noise exposure and the risk that this creates;
• what you are doing to control risks and exposures;
• where and how people can obtain hearing protection;
• how to report defective noise control equipment and hearing protection;
• what their duties are under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005;
• what they should do to minimise the risk, such as the proper way to use noise control equipment and hearing protection, storage and maintenance;
• health checks and surveillance.

Make sure you give information in a way that workers understand - you might need to make special arrangements if a worker has difficulty understanding English or is unable to read.

• Noise: Don't lose your hearing INDG363

Employee and safety representatives

Working with safety representatives and employees' representatives is a useful way to communicate about health and safety. For example, discuss your risk assessment and action plan, including any proposal to average exposure over a week, selection of hearing protection, any hearing protection zones and your health surveillance programme.

Remember: Involving your employees in decisions can help improve working relationships, make your employees more receptive to new ideas and help you control exposure to noise.

• Health surveillance