Construction site noise breaches up 25%

Some 17,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, ringing in the ears or other ear conditions caused by excessive noise at work. Exposure to high noise levels can cause permanent hearing damage for construction workers, without the sufferer becoming aware of the problem until it’s too late. It can often lead to tinnitus or even deafness. Noise can also be a serious safety hazard at work, interfering with communication and making warnings harder to hear. 

The HSE estimates that more than 2 million people in Great Britain were exposed to unacceptable levels of noise at work. Noise induced hearing loss is the second most common reason for employers’ liabilities claims for Occupational Health. 

Technical support manager for the Building Safety Group Chris Chapman commented, “Exposure to many different sources of noise on a construction site has a cumulative effect and cause damage, even if a worker is only exposed to a single source for short periods of time.”

Chris added, “Workers are also at risk if they have muffled hearing at the end of the day, even if it is better by the next morning. There is no need for hearing to be damaged – under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers have a duty to protect workers and take steps to reduce the risk.” 

For advice and guidance on how to reduce of hearing damage caused by noise, please visit BSG’s YouTube channel.

HSM's webinar on noise induced hearing loss, which takes TODAY at 10:30am and will include a panelist from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).To register to attend for FREE visit https://events.streamgo.co.uk/Noise-Induced-Hearing-Loss

You will also be able to listen to it on demand.