Ignoring Noise Can Be Costly

Employers risk being taken to court if they fail to manage noise exposure properly. If it’s not the safety regulator, which can press for unlimited fines, then it might be employees suing for compensation for work-induced hearing loss. To help employers manage the problem Safety Media (UK) has launched its new DVD: ‘Noise Awareness – The Facts’.
Once hearing has been lost it won’t come back. A frightening thought for the over one million UK workers exposed to levels of noise which put their hearing at risk. Try telling the 170,000 people suffering deafness, tinnitus, or other ear conditions as a result of excessive noise at work that a price can be put on hearing.
The Control of Noise atWork Regulations 2005 have strict requirements on what employers must do to control noise. Failure to comply could result in a costly court appearance.
The Regulations require employers to take specific action at certain action values relating to the levels of noise exposure to employees
averaged over a working day or week and the maximum noise (peak sound pressure) to which employees are exposed in a working day.
Employers must: provide employees with information, instruction and training; assess risks to employees from noise at work; take action to
reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks; provide employees with hearing protection if the noise exposure cannot be reduced enough
using other methods; make sure the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded; carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health.
The HSE is targeting a number of areas in 2007-2008 on noise control: concrete and cement products, plastic products and woodworking. Safety Media says its DVD is ideal for employers in many industries, including those directly affected by the HSE’s campaign: construction, demolition or road repair; woodworking; plastics processing.
Like all the renowned DVDs from Safety Media, ‘Noise Awareness – The Facts’ is informative, to the point and at 15minutes, short enough to keep your employees’ attention. The DVD will provide employers and employees with the essential information needed to protect hearing.
The title covers: how much noise is too much noise? advice on how to protect your hearing; the purpose of a noise assessment; how to
protect your hearing at work; and the protection available and its correct use.
The DVD is split into two parts: one aimed at the employer and the other at the employee.
The pack comes complete with 50 Noise Assessment Forms and 10 Noise Training Booklets.