Noise at Work
Jan 1, 2010
The 6th April was the date by which businesses must have complied with the new Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and Bob Woods, risk adviser at Wilby Ltd, thinks many businesses don’t yet know they have a noise problem. These businesses face the risk of prosecution and future compensation claims from employees for industrial deafness.
How does a business know if it has a noise problem? Bob Woods explains: “It will depend on how loud any noise is and for how long your employees are exposed to it. Your business will possibly have a noise problem even if the noise is only like a busy street, a vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant for most of the working day. Another good test is if your employees have to raise their voices to carry out a normal conversation when about two metres apart for at least part of the day.”
Risk Manager, Bob Woods, assesses noise levels
Despite the deadline being last week, only a handful of businesses are fully prepared for the introduction of these regulations and Wilby Ltd is busy advising local companies how to ensure they comply with the new noise regulations.
Wilby Risk Management has produced a free information pack to help employers understand the new regulations, and explain how they can reach compliance.
To obtain a pack contact Bob Woods at Wilby Ltd [riskmanagement@wilbyltd.co.uk]
