Noise Health & Safety Regulations


Under the recent General Applications Act of 2007 Irish companies must know and comply with acceptable levels of noise emissions. Specifically, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations are Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the General Application Regulations 2007. These Regulations revoke and replace the European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Noise) Regulations 1990 (S.I. No. 157 of 1990) and replace the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Contol of Noise at Work) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 371 of 2006).
The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose Directive 2003/10/EC of the European Parliament on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of employees to the risks arising from physical agents (noise).
This legislation makes the protection of workers from noise exposure mandatory.
A noise level survey can include internal measurements of specific equipment and / or areas of the factory and also an external boundary measurement. in addition, an initial audiometric screening of all workers' hearing is very important as it establishes their base level of hearing.
An Occupational Hearing Healthcare Programme should also include an ongoing internal educational and training programme as well as an external independent service.
Hearing Healthcare’s Mobile Testing Unit is fully equipped to carry out a complete Occupational Hearing Healthcare programme on-site for your company.
Further information can be found at the Health & Safety Authority's website. Alternatively you check out a copy of the HSA Guidelines for Audiometry here.