Lockton Health and Safety Manual

 The exposure limit values are: a daily or weekly personal noise  exposure of 87 dBA; and a peak sound pressure of 140 dBC.    The lower exposure action values are: a daily or weekly  personal noise exposure of 80 dBA; and a peak sound pressure  of 135dBC.    The upper exposure action values are: a daily or weekly  personal noise exposure of 85dBA; and a peak sound pressure  of 137 dBC.     Personal noise exposure level is the noise level an individual is  exposed to, calculated as a measure of the time exposed.    However, the definition of unwanted noise can also include other  aspects such as annoyance caused by the noise.   Legal Requirements   In regard to noise in the workplace, all the usual requirements of the  Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health  and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 apply, insofar as the employer  is required to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of its  employees and the employer is required to carry out suitable health  and safety risk assessments.   The additional legislation covering the impact of noise is the Control  of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which lay a responsibility on  employers to protect the hearing of those they employ and other  persons who are affected by the employers’ activities.  The approach  adopted by these regulations is not to be prescriptive in terms of the  precautions that must be implemented.  Instead, the regulations lay  down a framework for control – how an employer should go about  assessing the risks and then designing suitable control measures.

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