hearing

The challenges associated with selecting suitable hearing protection, the risks of over protection and the importance of offering your employees a choice.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the Noise Regulations) require employers to prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work. Sounds can be harmful when they are too loud, this could be from a brief exposure or when you have been repeatedly exposed to them over a long period of time. These sounds can damage the sensitive structures in the inner ear and can cause noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Unfortunately, no one is exempt from NIHL and its effects on hearing are often permanent, hence why rapid action against noise at work is so important.

Once you have established the levels of noise you are being exposed to, you should