The Health and Safety Executive is nine months into a multi-year workplace noise inspection campaign; what are the results showing so far?
Earlier this year, we shared an article on how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had launched a UK-wide project in which inspectors focus on high noise industries to assess their hearing protection. The project was a part of an overall bid to reduce noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace as part of a cross-industry campaign. Inspectors have interacted with over 5000 duty holders so far, in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, food, horticulture and agriculture.
Nine months down the line, this multi-year campaign has already reported substantial findings. Here, we catch up with Chris Steel, the HSE’s Principal Inspector for Noise and Vibration, to explore what the team has discovered so far and how this could contribute to addressing noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace.
What has the Workplace Noise Intervention project reported so far?
With thousands of sites to visit, HSE inspectors focused on three areas; checking how well hearing protection is used, asking employers to develop a list of noise controls and collecting workplace noise reports produced by third party consultants. After many years of different campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the need for adequate hearing protection at work, the initial results have been surprising.
Around 40% of the fixed workplaces visited had noise levels above the upper exposure action value. For these workshops and factories, hearing protection is mandatory. It also means health surveillance is a must have and not an optional extra.
“The fact that industry is noisy is hardly a shock – what we wanted to uncover was whether or not it was being dealt with correctly. Worryingly, we had to issue just under half of all the sites we visited with formal enforcement. This meant that HSE inspectors had to put pen to paper and ask employers to take action to reduce their noise risk,” said Chris Steel.
Are workers aware of how to properly use and care for hearing protection?
As far back as 1972, four years before the HSE existed, the government line on the use of hearing protection was that it should be seen as a temporary measure until noise controls can be put in place. Fifty-two years later and inspectors found that hearing protection is sometimes the only control measure on site.
“One of our big questions was whether employers were ensuring their workers were well trained in the use of earmuffs and ear plugs. Did they know how to actually use hearing protection, how to care for it and what the warning signs were of hearing damage? These are all important questions that all employers should be asking themselves for the safety of their staff,” said Chris.
When workers were asked if they knew how to care for their hearing protection; 77% said they had not been shown how to store it, 81% said they had not been shown how to check its condition, and 74% said they would not know how to report damage. In addition, 63% of workers were not told how important it is to wear hearing protection all the time they are in a noisy area. However, the biggest worry is that only 5% of employers had checked to see if their workers could hear warning signals whilst wearing hearing protection.
Speaking of the campaign and the findings so far, Paul Surridge – BIHIMA Chairman – said:
“The findings from the Workplace Noise Intervention project are concerning – there’s clearly a lack of awareness across different industries around how to properly protect hearing that needs to be fixed. Thankfully, the HSE is taking robust action through this campaign to change that.
“With the HSE influence – and its ability to enforce preventative measures – we hope that businesses can actually start to change how they think about and prioritise hearing protection and noise.”
What next for the Workplace Noise Intervention campaign?
HSE will continue its cross-industry noise campaign for another year. After that, it will move on to run focused inspections on high-risk workplaces as well as inspections on poor noise consultancy practice.
For HSE advice and guidance on noise at work, please visit the HSE website.
The HSE has an important message for managers and duty holders; if you are talking to anyone about hearing protection at work, remember the CUFF. When looking at hearing protection check:
C = Condition, is it in good order, clean and serviceable?
U = Use, is it being used all the time it should be?
F = Fit the ear, are ear plugs in right, are earmuffs getting a good seal?
F = Fit for purpose, does it block enough noise to keep the work healthy and safe?
