Earache
A couple of employees have come to you complaining that the hearing protection they wear on a daily basis is causing them discomfort. One even stated that it’s led to an ear infection. What should you do about this?
Why are they wearing the protection?
About six months ago you employed a consultant to complete a noise assessment on one of your workshops. He identified that, on average, the noise levels exceed 93dBa; a level which passes the exposure limits detailed in the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Left with little choice, you decided to implement a rule that all staff working in the area must wear hearing protection at all times. However, although most happily complied, a couple of staff have complained. In fact, one has even stated that he’s suffered an ear infection as a result of wearing his hearing protection for a prolonged period. So what should you do?
Two-pronged attack
Firstly, you should be taking steps to reduce the noise levels. Relying on hearing protection doesn’t satisfy your legal duties. You can only go for it once you’ve taken steps to either reduce the noise at source, i.e. installing noise damping devices, or you’ve placed acoustic screens around the noise-generating machinery.
Tip 1. In many scenarios it isn’t possible to reduce noise levels. However, you’ll still need to show that you’ve looked at ways of achieving this, even if you’re currently unable to improve the situation. Your actions should be detailed on your risk assessments. This provides you with the paper trail an inspector will want to see.
Tip 2. Although it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do this, if you have a single piece of machinery that generates a great deal of noise, try to segregate it with barriers. This way, you’ll minimise the number of staff exposed to the noise.
If the noise remains
If you can’t remove the source of the noise, or even take steps to reduce the noise it produces, then you’ll have to stick to your hearing protection rule.
Tip 1. As there are so many different types of hearing protection product available, you don’t need to insist that the staff in question wear those that cause them problems. The easiest option is to put the problem into the hands of an experienced personal protective equipment supplier. They will be able to provide many different options, e.g. over-ear defenders etc.
Tip 2. Before you let the supplier loose on your staff, make sure they’re well aware of the ground rules, e.g. how much you’ll spend on each pair etc.
Tip 3. To be sure that the protection on offer provides sufficient attenuation, use our hearing protection tool (see The next step).
If none of the above works...
If your staff refuse to wear the hearing protection, then you can’t let them work in the designated noise protection zone. Obviously, this brings in employment law issues, so you’ll have to address these with your employee.
Tip. When faced with a stark choice such as this, many staff members will offer to sign a disclaimer that they won’t sue if they suffer hearing loss. Don’t entertain this idea; it won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on.
For an Excel tool which helps select hearing protection, visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk (HS 08.16.04).
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