Workplace health: Health and safety at work
Noise
Exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage.
Damage can involve loss of hearing ability and people may also suffer a permanent sensation of noises or ringing in the ears, known as 'tinnitus'.
Hearing loss caused by exposure to noise at work continues to be a significant occupational disease. Recent research estimates that 170,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, tinnitus or other ear conditions as a result of exposure to excessive noise at work.
Factors that contribute to hearing damage are:
- noise levels [given in decibel units dB(A)]
- the length of time people are exposed to the noise, daily and over a number of years
Employers have legal obligations to protect their employees from excessive noise. New laws on noise in the workplace, due to come into force by early 2006, will impose lower noise action levels.
Resources
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The Noise section of the Health and Safety Executive’s website contains much valuable information on the issue. |
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The Dealing with noise and noise pollution section of the Business Link website covers the legal requirements of businesses with regards to protecting employees from excessive noise. |
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The NoiseNet website has a wide range of materials and courses on noise and the workplace. |