Noise about hearing protection
Let down. Research by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare (SCE) identifies that just over a third (34%) of employees who require hearing protection aren’t getting it. The figures were calculated using information from a survey of over 500 employers across the UK. It asked respondents to identify the types of hearing protection offered to staff. The top options were overhead earmuffs (42%) and foam earplugs (37%). The next most popular was custom moulded earplugs (26%).
Why not more? Here’s where the commercial angle comes in as SCE offers a range of moulded earplugs - available from around £90. It’s surprised that the percentage of employees provided with custom earplugs is so low considering how much better they are than other options. Although they cost much more than a standard foam earplug, the main plus points are that the user can wear them for much longer and the level of protection is better.
Tip. If your staff are going through boxes of foam plugs, it may be worth a one-off investment in moulded earplugs. That said, as disposables are about 10p per piece, it will take some time to cover the cost of the more expensive option.
The legal perspective. Anyone failing to protect their staff will be in breach of their legal duties which could lead to enforcement action.
Prevention. The HSE is more concerned about employers preventing noise exposure rather than managing it with earplugs etc. So you must take reasonable steps to reduce noise levels through engineering control measures, e.g. soundproofing, whenever it is reasonably practicable to do so.
Tip. If you can’t reduce noise levels to less than 80db, make staff aware of the risks and ensure that hearing protection is available.
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