Noise

Exposure at work to excessive levels of noise may not cause obvious and immediate harm, but continued exposure will cause permanent damage. Unless properly controlled, noise exposure causes long-term disability through deafness and tinnitus which can severely affect the everyday life of the sufferer and cost industry, in compensation payments, loss of skilled employees and retraining. Over 1.7 million workers in the UK are believed to be exposed to noise levels which are likely to cause damage.

The Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) can provide measurement, analysis and research services related to workplace exposure to noise. Research at HSL has provided information to Standards bodies, and is now incorporated into many British, European and International Standards. HSL scientists take an active part in Standards making, enabling them to maintain an up-to-date view on current world-wide activities and developments in this area.


HSL has extensive expertise in noise exposure assessment, and our noise capability includes:

Workplace Exposure
• Noise at work regulations (NAWR) 1989 assessments.
• Personal noise exposure assessment (L_EP,d).
• Local noise exposure assessment (L_eq, L_n, L_peak, spectra).
• Hearing protector attenuation measurements.
• Noise exposure from headsets and communication systems.
• Assessment of the effectiveness of hazard warning signals.
• Staff with certificates of competency and Members of the Institute of Acoustics.

Machine emission
• In the workplace.
• Sound pressure at operator's position.
• Sound power of machinery or components.
• Sound intensity mapping.
• Sound intensity, source location.

Laboratory tests
• Standard tests of chainsaw noise emissions.
• Assessment of typical noise emissions for tools not covered by existing Standards.
• Noise Exposure Assessments.

Facilities
Our facilities include:

• Anechoic Chamber

Allows noise measurements in a variety of noise environments

• Manikins and Heads

Measurements of in-use performance of hearing protectors and noise exposure from headsets can be made using:

• Knowles Electronics Manikin for Acoustic Research.


• ISO Acoustic test fixture.


• HSE Protective Equipment Test Effigy head (PETE).

• Multi-channel data recording systems

• PC based acquisition and analysis systems

• Microphones

• Instrumentation microphones.


• Miniature microphones.


• Sound intensity probes/measurement.

• Sound power measurement equipment

Further Details
Contact our Business Development Unit by telephone (+44) 01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk.

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