Part 4: Carrying out a noise risk assessment

In order to comply with the duties under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations to reduce the risk of hearing damage to their employees, employers need to know which employees are at risk, and what the level of that risk is.

Also, in order to be able to formulate a plan to tackle noise issues, employers need to know what is causing the risk (which machines, processes, etc) and what the priorities should be for action.

Basically it is up to the employer to satisfy himself/herself that an assessment meets the requirements of the regulations and whether or not the assessment is carried out in-house or by someone from outside of the company, such as a consultant.

Clearly, due to technical nature of the regulations, it is necessary for those carrying out an assessment to have enough competence to carry out the task. Certain technical equipment may also be needed.

Employers may also want to make use of manufacturers' handbooks when it comes to noise output from equipment used in the workplace. Likewise, some trade associations may have pooled information about different types of machinery to help their members.

The checklist below is designed to help with this process, setting out the key features of a noise assessment. An assessment should:

> State whether or not there is a noise problem

> Identify which employees are at risk and why

> Provide sufficient information to enable prioritisation of a plan of work needed to control the risks

> Indicate what needs to be done immediately - such as the provision of hearing protection and posting of warning signs

> Assist in the provision of information, instruction and training of employees about these issues

Noise assessment should be reviewed if there is any reason to believe that it is no longer valid, for example changes have been made to the workplace layout, new machinery has been installed or there have been changes to working practices. Good practice would be to carry out an informal review every 2 years, to decide whether or not a full review is appropriate.

The assessment should then be used to plan and implement work on noise control and risk reduction…