Research on noise induced hearing loss by the Workplace Health Expert Committee shows around 20% of the British working population could be exposed to high noise levels while doing their job (>85 dBA). The construction and agricultural sectors are two of the most likely affected groups of workers.
Whilst Britain has seen new cases of occupational deafness significantly drop over the past decade, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging workplaces to consider the shout test to manage noise at work and ways to give workers’ ears a break.
Try it out for yourself and see if you can be heard:
“If you are shouting at work and can’t be heard from two meters away, the chances are there’s a noise issue.”
The HSE expects there to be a balance, as while too little noise reduction could cause hearing damage, too much could isolate the worker and lead to accidents.
Employers must assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to noise so that they can protect the hearing of their workers.
ProAktive Environmental offer a full service of noise monitoring and measurement in your workplace and will provide practical advice on how to ensure your workforce are protected from not just excessive noise but also the elimination of too much noise.
By Ian French CMIOSH GIFireE – Risk Consultant