Can your hear me? Noise Safety Management Solutions

Noise hazards can be detrimental to an employee’s health, permanently damaging hearing. Industrial deafness occurs mainly in construction, manufacturing, mining, transport, logistics and freight handling, warehouse workers and in workshops. Both excessively loud noise over a short period of time, moderate levels of noise over a prolonged period of time.
In order to develop an effective hierarchy of control for noise hazards 6 simple stages must be taken.
Stage 1 – Eliminate the noise
Can the process that generates the noise be eliminated altogether? If not …
Stage 2 – Substitute the noise
Can the process be undertaken in a different, quieter way or can be replaced with something quieter? If not …
Stage 3 – Engineer out the noise
Can you relocate the machine outside of the building (taking surrounding neighbours into consideration)? If not …
Stage 4 – Isolate the noise
Can you add a suitable muffler or create a box around the machine that contains the noise and still allows access for operation? If not …
Stage 5 – Implement administrative controls
Inform everyone in the area by induction and signage that the area is noisy and that precautions are needed to prevent potential hearing loss. Consider introducing work schedules so that the use of the machine only effects a limited number of people. If these administrative precautions are still not satisfactory enough then progress to stage 6.
Stage 6 – Issue personal protective equipment
Provide hearing protection to all employees and visitors in the noisy area and ensure they wear it.
It is important that you take these steps in order to ensure the safety of your employees, taking particular interest this October as its Safety Month!