Cutting Down Noise at Work
Frequent exposure to loud noise can cause permanent, irreversible loss of hearing and tinnitus. Yet in most (if not all) cases this is entirely preventable. Every day millions of workers all over Europe are exposed to dangerously high levels of noise. Statistics indicate that one in five European workers have to raise their voices to be heard for at least half of the time that they spend at work - suggesting that they are at real risk of noise-induced hearing loss - and that 7% suffer from work-related hearing difficulties.
Deafness caused by exposure to high noise levels at work is one of the most prevalent forms of ill-health, not only in Europe, but in the world. The effects of the disability are socially very far- reaching. Sufferers are committed to an increasing loss of hearing acuity which in itself may take many years to become manifest. Add the effects of the deterioration of hearing caused by natural aging and a wide part of the hearing frequency spectrum is affected. The sufferer becomes more isolated in society and their quality of life is seriously affected. And, of course, by then it is far too late to do anything about it.
Hearing loss
There can be several causes of deafness, but noise-induced hearing loss is usually caused by the degeneration of the thousands of microscopic hairs in the cochlea, part of the inner ear. The hairs respond to sound of different frequencies by sending signals to the brain. Age-related hearing loss is caused by the natural degeneration of these hairs over time. But exposure to excessive noise can damage the hairs prematurely.
Temporary deafness is often experienced after leaving a noisy place and is called "temporary threshold shift". Although hearing recovers within a few hours, this should not be ignored. It is a sign that continued exposure to the noise could cause permanent damage.
Permanent hearing damage can be caused immediately by sudden, extremely loud, explosive noises, such as from guns or cartridge-operated machines. But more often hearing loss is gradual and due to prolonged exposure to noise. It may only be when damage caused by noise over the years combines with normal hearing loss due to ageing that people realise how deaf they have become. This incurable hearing loss 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.
Other effects of noise
Hearing loss is not the only problem that can be caused by excessive exposure to noise. Tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears) can also occur. This condition is very distressing and can also have other knock-on effects such as disturbed sleep. Noise can also create stress and can be a safety hazard at work, interfering with communication and making warnings harder to hear.
Who is at risk?
Anyone who is exposed to noise is at risk. The louder the noise and the longer a person is exposed to it, the greater the risk. Although noise is obviously a problem in the traditional "heavy" industries such as construction and manufacturing, there is growing recognition that it is also an issue in a wide range of other working environments from schools to leisure premises and nightclubs.
| Provision | 1986 Directive | 2003 Directive |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce risk | To lowest level reasonably practicable | Eliminated at source or reduced to a minimum |
| Assess and where necessary | Where noise experienced | Where are, or are likely to be, exposed to risk measure exposure |
| Assessment period | 8 hours | 8 hours or one week |
| Provide information and training to workers and reps | 85 dB(A) and 200 Pa | 80 dB(A) and 112 Pa |
| Workers’ right to hearing checks / audiometric testing | 85 dB(A) by or under the responsibility of a doctor | 85 dB(A) by or under the responsibility of a doctor To be available at 80 dB(A) and 112 Pa where risk indicated |
| Health surveillance | - | Provisions to ensure appropriate health surveillance where risk indicated |
| Make hearing protection available | 85 dB(A) and 200 Pa | 80 dB(A) and 112 Pa |
| Hearing protection to be worn | 90 dB(A) and 200 Pa | 85 dB(A) and 140 Pa selected to eliminate risk or reduce to a minimum |
| Limit on exposure | - | 87 dB(A) and 200 Pa at the ear |
| Programme of control measures | 90 dB(A) and 200 Pa | 85 dB(A) and 140 Pa |
| Delimit areas, put up signs | Where reasonably practicable 90 dB(A) and 200 Pa | 85 dB(A) and 140 Pa where technically feasible and the and control access risk of exposure so justifies |
| Workers reps to receive information | 85 dB(A) and 200 Pa (assessments) 90 dB(A) | Refers back to Directive 89/391/EEC and 200 Pa (programmes of measures) |
| Derogations | Weekly exposure averaging; From hearing protection | From hearing protection where health and safety risk where health and safety risk |
| Transitional periods | - | 5 years from exposure limitation for shipping 2 years from implementation for music and entertainment sectors |
| Non-application | Sea and air transport | Conflict with public service activities |
Table 1: Comparison of the provisions of the 1986 and 2003 Noise Directives
Legislation
In Europe, legislation to protect workers from noise was first introduced in the form of a European Directive in 1986. This Directive introduced noise exposure levels at which employers were legally obliged to take certain actions to reduce noise and/or to protect workers. The 1986 Directive has now been superseded by another Directive (2003/10/EC) which came into force in February 2003. The new Directive requires employers to take action at lower noise exposures, and introduces a new exposure limit value (taking account of the attenuation provided by hearing protection) which must not be exceeded. Nevertheless, probably the most important aspect of the new Directive is the greater emphasis on eliminating risks at source or reducing them to a minimum. European Member States have until February 2006 to introduce their own domestic legislation. Table 1 compares the provisions of the two Directives.
Essentially, employers have a legal duty to protect their workers from noise at work. They should:
- Conduct a risk assessment which may involve carrying out noise measurements
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Prevent or control any noise by:
- elimination of noise sources
- control of noise at source
- training workers about the risks faced and how to use protective measures
- using hearing protection, but only as a last resort
- Monitor the risks and review controls, which may include health surveillance.
Manufacturers of machinery and other equipment also have a responsibility - under another European Directive (98/37/EC) - to design and construct products so that noise risks are reduced.
HSE Programming to cut noise at work in Britain
Britain’s Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain. Their mission is to protect people’s health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled. HSE looks after health and safety in most industrial workplaces including nuclear installations and mines, factories, farms, hospitals and schools, and offshore gas and oil installations. Local authorities are responsible for enforcement in offices, shops and other parts of the services sector.
Noise at work - the scale of the problem in Britain
It is estimated that over 2 million people in Britain are regularly exposed to loud noise at work. About 1.1 million are exposed above 85 dB(A), where there is a significant risk to health. An estimated 170,000 people suffer deafness, tinnitus, or other ear conditions as a result. Within the 35 to 64 year age group there are 153,000 men and 26,000 women who have severe difficulties in hearing attributable to noise at work. Severe hearing difficulty has a prevalence of 1.9% for all occupations (5% for construction). Occupational deafness claims on employers’ liability insurance run at about 60,000 a year, or 83% of total claims for industrial injury, while it constitutes about 10% of claims for financial assistance from the Government (under the state-run Industrial Injuries Benefit Scheme).
What is the new programme on noise at work?
HSE is now working to transpose the latest EU Directive on noise into UK law. Introduction of the new UK Regulations in 2006 is expected to encourage employers to take more appropriate action on noise. It makes sense for HSE to try to use the momentum generated by the new Regulations to good effect. HSE has therefore drafted a new programme of work on noise to focus resources and effort to maximum effect.
The programme consists of a series of projects which can be divided into three broad workstreams:
Workstream 1: Intelligence, targeting and fostering solutions
This workstream is fundamental to informing the other two. It will help to define a robust evidence base, quantify a baseline, identify priorities and develop and supply solutions. It is important to concentrate limited resources on industries and activities where there is the greatest scope for reduction in ill-health i.e. where:
- ill-health is most prevalent
- large numbers are exposed
- exposure levels are high
HSE is in the process of developing a knowledge base of such industries and activities to help us target resources. Other projects include:
- systems for capturing knowledge gained by inspectors
- techniques for risk assessment
- knowledge management: collating, dispensing and identifying and filling gaps in knowledge
- identification and dissemination of reasonably practicable control measures
- key messages and ways to promote them
Cutting Down On Noise At Work
| Box 1: Inspecting for noise - the “topic inspection pack” approach |
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The purpose of inspection is to assess the level of compliance achieved by the employer, to encourage continued improvement, and to secure compliance through enforcement where necessary. The topic inspection pack helps HSE inspectors to target a particular hazard proactively during inspection. In the case of noise, the risks are easy to identify; there is a good dose/response relationship; there are clear legal exposure limits; noise is easy to measure and there is well-established guidance. Prevention of noise-induced hearing loss can be achieved by employers implementing a regime which contains the following key elements:
Accordingly three Risk Control Indicators (RCIs) have been selected against which inspectors can measure employer performance:
Following inspection the employer is scored against the RCIs on a scale of 1 - 4. A score of 1 indicates that all relevant elements for that indicator are in place and further improvement is not possible. A score of 4 indicates poor compliance and that enforcement action is appropriate. Based on the scores allocated to each of the RCIs the employer is assigned an overall performance rating. This rating provides information for future evaluation and to monitor improvements over time. Inspectors are also provided with reference material about noisy activities and processes for most industry sectors; an aide de memoire of the issues to be addressed during inspection; control measures; details of noise legal issues and template enforcement notices. |
Workstream 2: Reducing hazard at source: Supply of tools and machinery
Reducing noise at source by encouraging manufacturers to supply machines and tools with lower noise emissions is the optimum way to reduce exposure. Also, encouraging manufacturers to provide better information to users on emissions and proper use of machines and tools will allow the employer to choose suitable machines and tools and to assess and manage exposure to noise. Furthermore manufacturers and suppliers are few by comparison with employers and can be readily contacted and directly influenced e.g. by convening a conference, fostering contacts between manufacturers and users, and enforcement of the legislation relating to the supply of machinery (which also stems from an EU Directive).
At the same time it is important that HSE feeds into appropriate International/ European/British standards to ensure that they represent the requirements of relevant legislation and there is agreement on realistic emission test codes for machines and tools.
Workstream 3: Encouraging compliance through advice, investigation and enforcement
New Noise Regulations will come into force in 2006, accompanied by guidance for employers. These Regulations are fundamental to the success of the programme because they set the standard of compliance. Other projects under this workstream include:
- helping to ensure compliance is achieved, by continuing to work on tools for inspectors (see box 1) and running preventive inspections in target industries, while liaising with priority industry stakeholders on joint initiatives and developing examples of control measures
- in accordance with the recent EU Directive on work-related noise, working with social partners to produce practical guidelines for the music and entertainment sector by February 2008 (see box 2)
- looking at ways of disseminating simple messages to workers through discussions with trade unions and industry associations. Workers can make a major contribution to the management and control of many aspects of daily exposure, for example in the selection, use and maintenance of tools and equipment and in the proper use of hearing protection
- exploring new ways of disseminating messages - traditional ways of providing advice and support to employers need revision to reflect the changing workforce. HSE will also be contributing to the European Health and Safety Week which in 2005 will address noise
- ensuring that the HSE web pages (www.hse.gov.uk/noise) and telephone helpline are kept up to date
| Box 2: Music and entertainment sector |
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The recent EU Directive on work-related noise requires Member States to work with social partners to produce practical guidance for the music and entertainment sector, however that may be defined within different Member States. Moreover, the Directive allows a transitional period of two years for this sector whilst the guidance is being formulated. In the UK, the HSE has created two Working Groups (for live and recorded music) on which relevant social partners are represented to collaborate on producing practical guidance. HSE would welcome collaboration with other Member States on this issue. Since many leisure premises and orchestras operate throughout the EU there is a need to ensure some consistency in approach - notwithstanding the different legal systems within different Member States - across the EU. |
Objective, targets and evaluation
Because of the robust dose-response relationship, a reduction in exposure to noise will lead directly in due course to a reduction in noise-induced hearing damage. But the chronic health effects of exposure to noise are long-latent and would normally only occur after many years’ regular exposure. The overall objective of the noise programme is therefore long-term:
By 2030, to eliminate as an occupational disease new incidence of noise-induced hearing damage
Full compliance with the new Regulations would result in the objective being achieved. Maximum compliance must therefore be sought, particularly at the higher levels of exposure. So an interim target would be 90% compliance with the exposure limit value by 2010.
Reduction of noise at source is the optimum way of reducing exposure, but this can take time. Many employers rely on hearing protection, and this reliance is likely to increase substantially with employer action being required at lower noise exposure levels under the new Regulations. But hearing protection is far less effective than reducing noise levels. Hence another interim target would be an overall reduction by 2010 in the reliance on hearing protection.
A formal evaluation of the impact of the Regulations will be undertaken in approximately five years, and this will also be used to evaluate the success of the programme at that stage. In the meantime, evidence of success of the programme workstreams will be derived from peer review, enforcement activity information and interim surveys.
| Box 3: European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2005 |
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In October each year, the European Agency for Safety and Health in Bilbao, Spain organises a European Week for Safety and Health at Work. In October 2005, this week will be devoted to the subject of noise at work. This will serve to raise the profile of noise-related issues still further in advance of the new legislation set to come into force in Member States in early 2006. More information is available on the European Agency website www.agency.osha.eu.int and from the Focal Point contacts in each Member State. |
Working with others
The noise programme will inevitably involve working with key partners (employee safety representatives, trade associations, insurers, etc.) to seek continued improvement with the limited resources available. On some issues, sharing experiences and expertise between Member States would also be helpful. For further information on any of the issues mentioned in this article, please contact Androulla (Andie) Michael on tel +44 (0)20 7717 6250 or email androulla.michael@hse.gsi.gov.uk
| Box 4: www.hse.gov.uk/noise |
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For more information on noise at work and hints and tips on controlling noise, go to the noise pages of the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/noise The website has many features, including free as well as priced guidance, publications and information sheets; hearing loss demonstrations; and a calculator for working out daily noise exposure. |
