NOISE & NOISE ASSESSMENT

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work.

Noise at work can cause hearing loss which can be temporary or permanent. People often experience temporary deafness after leaving being exposed to noise and hearing may recover within a few hours. Permanent hearing damage can be caused immediately by sudden, extremely loud, noises. Usually hearing loss takes place gradually due to prolonged exposures to noise. Compounding this is the normal hearing loss due to ageing. People may develop tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears), a distressing condition which can lead to disturbed sleep. Compensation costs for hearing damage are a significant drain on company profitability. Those with hearing damage suffer considerably.

JRL Solutions Ltd provides a one day course for managers and those who are interested in noise and those who will be carrying out noise assessment.

The syllabus includes:-

• potential health effects of exposure to noise
• the basic physics of noise
• how noise causes ill health
• legislative framework
• interpretation of action levels and limit values
• measuring noise
• how to carry out a noise assessment
• the hierarchial approach to noise control