Member Article

Noisy neighbours?

With Business Link

Noise can affect the quality of life for everyone. Having a responsible attitude towards noise and being aware of its impacts is essential in building sustainable communities. Last week’s Noise Action Week, co-ordinated by The National Society for Clean Air (NSCA), highlighted examples of the types of complaints investigated each year by local authority environmental health departments.

And we are not just talking about the next door neighbour playing his music too loudly or a dog allowed to bark throughout the night. Businesses and industries too generate sounds that reduce the quality of life for those in the vicinity. As a business owner, you may think you have reduced the noise at your workplace as much as possible but have you thought about the impact of your business off site? For instance, have you considered reducing the volume of any noise emitted by your reversing vehicles?

Unacceptable levels of noise can also affect your workforce, visitors and members of the public. As well as your general duty of care towards your employees, there are also specific noise-related regulations with which you must legally comply by assessing the risks and taking steps to control them. Few jobs are carried out in complete silence but in many cases, there is nothing to worry about. However, where the length of exposure to certain noise levels is exceeded or when one-off noises (peaks) are particularly loud, it can cause health and other problems.

The Business Link North East website sets out the types of noise common in businesses, when it is a cause for concern and what you have to do about it. The main legal duties apply where noise exposure in your business is likely to be at, or above, certain action values, namely 80 decibels and 85 decibels averaged over a working day or week, although there are also values relating to the maximum, or “peak”, noise to which employees are exposed.

If anybody in your work has a daily personal noise exposure level at, or above, 80 decibels you must:

• carry out a noise risk assessment and check the actual level of noise exposure
• provide information and training about noise risk
• supply hearing protection to workers who ask for it

If the daily personal noise exposure level is 85 decibels or above you must:

• take steps to reduce exposure
• supply hearing protection to affected workers and ensure that it is properly used and maintained
• identify the area as a hearing protection zone

There are also levels of noise exposure that must not be exceeded, taking into account any reduction provided by hearing protection, which should be a last resort. The best way to reduce noise exposure in your business is to eliminate or reduce it at source.

For Business Link services in your local area, call 0845 600 9006 or visit the website www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .