Cutting through the noise

A person’s life and wellbeing can be severely affected if their hearing is damaged by working in an environment where there is a daily exposure to extreme sound levels.

To ensure its customers understand the best ways to manage noise levels and maintain a safe working environment for their employees, Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, has launched a noise awareness campaign, providing employers with key advice and guidance. The campaign also highlights the importance of issuing workers with the most appropriate hearing protection when other noise control measures cannot be achieved, to prevent the health risks of noise exposure such as Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).

NIHL is one of the biggest occupational health problems facing the UK today, with more than 20,000 new cases reported in the workplace annually.¹ Whilst damage can be irreversible, the condition is preventable and Arco is committed to helping employers find solutions for noise problems.

Although everyone can be affected, workers in the construction, demolition, road repair, manufacturing and engineering sectors are at particular risk due to the frequent use of power tools. Whenever an individual’s personal exposure limit exceeds 85 decibels in any sector, action must be taken to reduce noise levels and PPE provided in-order to protect workers from the associated health risks.

In April 2018, the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 reclassified all hearing protection against harmful noise to Category III, which is designed to protect against very serious risks where the hazard is not immediately obvious. The effects of hearing loss are now recognised as being severely damaging to a person’s quality of life. 

As part of Arco’s commitment to keeping people safe at work, the safety company has created a toolbox talk exploring the negative effects of noise in the workplace and the steps that need to be taken to assess, reduce and control noise. For more information, please visit, www.arco.co.uk/noise