www.hsl.gov.ukAn Agency of the Health and Safety Executive
www.hsl.gov.ukAn Agency of the Health and Safety Executive
Noise, Hearing Loss, the Regulations & Sound Advice
Liz Brueck
An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive
Sounds in Decibels
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
01 Thresholdof hearing
Thresholdof pain
Challenger
SPL(dB)
Fireworks may be 100,000,000,000,000 times higher than the quietest sounds we hear.
102
104
106
108
1010
1012
1014
1016
1018
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Lp and Leq
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Leq and LEP,d
Noise Exposure Level [Noise Dose] takes account of both the sound pressure level and its duration.
LEP,d is the equivalent eight hour steady level corresponding to the actual exposure.
An LEP,d of 80 dB is equivalent to:
LAeq4hrs of 83 dB; or
LAeq2hrs of 86 dB; or
LAeq1hr of 89 dB; or
LAeq30min of 92 dB
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The EarExternal
Ear
Auditory OssiclesHammerPinna
Cochlea
Anvil Stirrup
EarDrum
EarCanal
MiddleEar
InternalEar
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Healthy Ear
0
4
8
12
16
20
1 10 100 1000
Frequency
Leve
l
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Damaged Ear
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1 10 100 1000
Frequency
Leve
l
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The broader picture
Business
SocialArt
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Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005• Pan-European;
– Physical Agents (Noise) Directive,– Ensure that workers' hearing is protected
from excessive noise at their place of work,– They do not apply to public.
• Music and Entertainment – 6th April 08;– Two years to develop guidance,– Working group – Regulators and social
partners,– Sound-Advice http://soundadvice.info
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Regulation daily exposure action and limit values
Noise at Work Regs.
1989
Control of Noise at Work Regs.
2005
Action
Lower action value
85 dB(A) 80 dB(A) Risk assessmentMake Ear Protection availableMaintenance programme Training
Upper action value
90 dB(A) 85 dB(A) Noise reduction at sourceEar Protection ZoneEar Protection must be usedHealth surveillance
Limit value
- 87 dB(A) Reduce to belowAllowed to take hearing protection into account
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Typical noise exposure
Job RangeLEP,d dB(A)
AverageLEP,d dB(A)
Bar staff 89 – 99 92
Floor staff 90 – 100 93
DJ 93 – 99 96
Security - 96
• Clubs.
• Musicians.
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Risk Assessment• Assessment of risks to health and safety
arising from the noise• Purpose: to identify what needs to be
done to reduce risks (Action Plan)• Should contain assessment of exposure
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Risk Assessment
• Where.• Who.• Estimate of exposure.
“good enough to decide whether the exposure is likely to be greater than the action values or approaching the limit
values”• What is needed to comply.• Who needs health surveillance.
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Estimating exposures• Information from guidance on typical
exposures• Information from similar venues• Listening checks• Noise measurements
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Listening Checks• Normal conversation unimpaired no risk• 85dBA - Shout to be heard at 2m • 90dBA - Shout to be heard at 1m
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Measurement equipment• Noise measurements only required if
necessaryIf you want precision go for:• Sound level meter or dosemeter with a
sound calibrator both meeting EN or IEC standards
• Verify performance every two years
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Personal dosemeters• Microphone is worn on the body
– fix microphone to end of shoulder
• Ideal for highly mobile employees (floor staff, security staff)
• Dosemeters indicate total noise dose received during measurement period
• Logging dosemeters record how the level varies with time
• Downside is the measurement is unsupervised
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Fixed positions
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Fixed positions• Useful where employees work in one or more
fixed work areas (DJ, bar staff)• Use sound level meter or noise dosemeter• Place microphone in typical employee ear
position• Measure LAeq over representative period, or
make measurements at intervals over period• Useful to make comparative measurements in
customer areas such as dance floor• Useful for ongoing monitoring of noise levels
at specified reference position
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Daily exposure calculation
www.hse.gov.uk/noise/calculator.htm
Exposure Calculator
Noise Level (LAeq dB)
Exposure duration (hours)
Exposure points (job/task)
Exposure points per hour
Job / task 1 95 2.3 288 125Job / task 2 99 2.5 785 314Job / task 3 74 0.5 0 1Job / task 4Job / task 5Job / task 6Job / task 7Job / task 8
Total duration 5.3
Daily noise exposure (LEP,d) 95 dB 1073 points
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Weekly exposure• Example: a two day
working week with two noisy days and two quieter days
• Only advantageous under certain conditions
• Use only where patterns of work are predictable
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Dai
ly /w
eekl
y no
ise
expo
sure
(dB
)
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Good design• Physical separation.
Both require absorption.
• Sound equipment.
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Good management• Why is it loud?• Regulators.• Maintenance.• Job rotation / weekly
averaging.• Responsibility,
communication and monitoring.
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• Have a contract with performer and agent confirming responsibilities under the Noise Regulations
• Encourage performers to use the in-house PA system
• Have quiet area for performers to use between sets
Free lancers
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Live Rock and Pop eventsPlan controls with a pre-event risk assessment• On stage musicians need to hear themselves; aim
for clarity not volume• Consider layout of performers• Use IEMs or monitor headphones with limiters• Make noisy areas hearing protection zones and
control access • Locate film and lighting crews, security, first
aiders, food outlets,rest areas somewhere quiet• Ensure all on-site employers are involved and
aware of risks, responsibilities and controls
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Classical performances• Have a mixed loud and quiet repertoire• Consider acoustics of space, absorption and
projection• Keep space between performers (2m2)• Put brass and woodwind on risers• Use greater dynamics for effect rather than
lots of fortissimo• Make conductors aware of house policy on
noise control• Hearing protectors are a last resort but if used
players will need time to get use to them
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Hearing protectionBefore ear protection is even considered, reduce the noise
preferably at source.• Attitudes are changing.• Suitability:
– correct amount of protection,– comfortable,– the need to hear.
• Specialist ear protectors.
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Hearing protectionAs a guide
Noise level Protector SNR
85 - 90 20 or less
90 - 95 20 - 30
95 to 100 25 - 35
100 - 105 30 or more
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Information, instruction and training• Employees need to know;
– The risks.– The control measures.– Hearing protection;
• Where to get it,• How to use and look after it,• The importance of wearing it.
– How to use and look after equipment.– The purpose of health surveillance.
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Health surveillance
• When?– Dose likely to regularly exceed action value.
• What?– Audiometry plus reporting of other symptoms.
• Purpose?– Warn that employees might be suffering early signs
of injury.– Provide an opportunity to do something to stop the
injury getting worse.• Requires close consultation with employees
and their representatives.
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Health surveillance records• Record of a person’s work assignments and
noise exposures, health surveillance dates.• This information is not confidential and must
be kept by the employer for as long as individual is under health surveillance
• Records should be kept up-to-date• Should include grouped anonymised data• Inspectors from enforcing authorities entitled
to see health surveillance records
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Further information• http://soundadvice.info• Sound Advice – Control of noise at work
in music and entertainment HSE publication HSG260
• www.hse.gov.uk• For information on the regulations
Controlling noise at work HSE publication L108