Health and Safety Executive makes a noise about protecting hearing at work

HSE Press Release E167:02 - 20 September 2002

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today published guidance on noise, making it easier to find information on protecting hearing from noise at work.

Six "Noise at work" publications have been combined to produce a comprehensive leaflet for employers and a pocket card for employees.

For employers, the leaflet "Noise at Work - advice for employers" outlines:

• Legal duties to protect the hearing of workers;
• How to assess and control noise;
• How to choose quieter equipment and machinery;
• Different methods of hearing protection; and
• Health surveillance.

The new leaflet replaces four previous HSE leaflets ("Introducing the Noise at Work Regulations", "Keep the Noise Down", "Ear Protection" and "Health Surveillance in Noisy Industries").

For employees, the new pocket card "Protect your hearing- or lose it!" outlines the risks of exposure and the duties on the employer and employee to provide and use protection. It provides information on:

• When to wear hearing protection;
• How to wear earmuffs and earplugs properly; and
• How to look after protection equipment.

This booklet replaces the existing pocket card ("Protect your hearing!") and the leaflet "Noise at work - a guide for employees".

A new poster, "Protect your hearing or lose it!" is also available.

Mike Shepherd, head of HSE's Physical Agents Policy Unit, said:

"Exposure to excessive noise at work is still damaging people's hearing. It is important that employers and workers have simple, comprehensive and helpful guidance to advise them on how to reduce exposure levels and guard against hearing loss."

Single copies of "Noise at Work - advice for employers" INDG362 and "Protect your hearing- or lose it!" INDG363 are available in priced packs from HSE Books.

Notes to editors

1. This guidance is based on the Noise at Work Regulations 1989 that sets out measures to reduce and control noise levels at work to cut the risk of damage to employees' hearing. The regulations have two action levels related to daily personal exposure averaged over an eight-hour day - 85dB(A) is the first action level and 90dB(A) is the second. There is also a peak action level of 140dB(C).

2. Information about reducing noise levels at source is available in the HSE publications "Reducing Noise at Work - Guidance on the Noise at Work Regulations 1989" and "Sound Solutions - Techniques to Reduce Noise at Work".

3. Negotiations are currently underway in the EU on the final details of a new Noise Directive that lowers the action levels to 80 and 85 dB(A) and introduces a limit value of 87dB(A), above which exposure (taking hearing protection into account) will be prohibited. Adoption of this Directive is expected before the end of this year and all member states, including the UK, will then have three years to implement it in their own legislation (i.e. by late 2005). The HSE will be producing new guidance to accompany this new legislation.

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