Sound advice

Noise is a significant health hazard in the workplace, with more than 2 million people in Britain exposed to unacceptable levels of noise at work.¹

Over time, working in an environment where there is daily exposure to extreme sound levels can damage a person’s hearing and severely affect their life and wellbeing.

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, but is 100 per cent preventable.

Here are a few more statistics on hearing loss:

• More than 12 million people in the UK suffer from hearing loss, that's 1 in 5 adults
• More than 900,000 people are severely or profoundly deaf
• 4.4 million people are of working age (16–64 years old)
• 8 million are aged 60 or over
• More than 40% of people over the age of 50 have hearing loss
• 7.1 million adults are living with tinnitus

This year, workplace noise and hearing protection have been under particular scrutiny from Health and Safety (HSE) inspectors, and rightly so.

While PPE should always be the last line of defence against workplace hazards, it is essential that, where hearing protection is required, it is correctly used and properly maintained.

The protection must be suitable for the environment and task involved, and also compatible with any other PPE the worker needs to wear. 

To assess the adequacy of hearing protection, the HSE uses the 'CUFF' method

C = Condition: is the hearing protection in good condition?

U = Use: are workers using the hearing protection all the times they should be?

F = Fit: does the hearing protection fit the wearer?

F = Fit for purpose: have you selected hearing protection that gives the right level of noise reduction?

To ensure hearing protection is fit for purpose, businesses must first calculate the level of protection required. This involves measuring noise exposure levels in the workplace and choosing hearing protection devices (HPDs) with the right attenuation to reduce the noise to safe levels. 

And over-protection can be as hazardous as under-protection. Reducing the noise too much can lead to safety risks, such as workers not hearing warning signals or alarms. It can also mean that workers have to regularly remove their hearing protection to communicate, thereby risking damaging their hearing anyway.

To ensure continued compliance and safety, businesses should make sure they keep up to date on the latest standards in hearing protection. The updated standard BS EN 352 set higher minimum noise reduction levels, which may require the use of low attenuation custom-moulded earplugs or level-dependent HPDs. As category 3 PPE, HPDs need to be retested every five years, and their protection levels may change, so regular checks are important.

Fit should also be considered, as a one-size-fits-all approach does not guarantee effectiveness. Ear-fit testing is the only way to ensure hearing protection does its job as well as it should for each individual worker.  Fit testing highlights the actual protection achieved by an HPD fitted by the user in a workplace setting. It’s also a great way to engage workers, address issues of comfort or fit, and can also help identify training needs.

It’s also useful to stay informed on technological advances. New innovations such as safety-certified earplugs with audio input offer new ways to provide effective protection and remain compliant, without sacrificing communication. 

Arco offers Joined-up Safety Solutions to help businesses safeguard their employees from the long-term impacts of noise exposure, and prepare for HSE inspections. 

Our website offers a wealth of resources and expert advice, covering noise hazards, managing noise risks, and achieving optimal hearing protection levels. We also have a tool box talk and posters to help everyone understand why wearing hearing protection is so important and how to care for and wear it properly.

Arco also offers a wide range of HPDs and noise meter products, as well as services such as noise surveys, exposure assessments, occupational health surveillance, and ear fit testing.

Consult our expert advice to learn how you and your colleagues can protect your hearing and avoid becoming another statistic. 

Stuart Marshall is technical sales specialist (hearing protection) at Arco. For more information, visit www.arco.co.uk/expert-advice/noise

[1]  https://www.hse.gov.uk/treework/health/noise.htm