Rank: New forum user 
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Morning All, i'm working at a power station and all units are turned off as people are working on them. Soon, but no one will say exactly when because the can't, one of the units will be getting noisy and will be over the 85db level and therefore will require ear protection. So rather than wait for it to get noisy, we are forced to wear ear protection when it is as quiet in the turbine hall work area as it is in an office. Any thoughts/suggestions please? Thanks in advance
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Rank: Forum user
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Could you just require the guys to carry hearing protection with them at all times, and put them on when the unit starts up?
The couple of seconds lag surely will not damage the hearing?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Concur with Cerith. Used to have ear protection when working in a press shop and when the little noisy press stopped (going ten to the dozen rapidly) it was a relief to remove them for a normal conversation. So always carry them and apply when hearing the noise grow in volume.
Badger
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Rank: New forum user
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Ive said we will carry ear plugs etc but we might not use them, is what they say lol, and its a blanket ban, not just the area affected, I think the HSE would tell them different but i'll not even go there, but it is disappointing.
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Rank: Super forum user
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There is no need to wear noise protection “just in case”. The noise levels should be monitored over time and if the average weighted noise level over a shift (or a week’s worth of shifts) is over 85dB then measures including hearing protection should be used. Exposing someone to 85 dB for a few minutes while they get their hearing protection on should not be an issue. What might be an issue is making people wear hearing protection when there is no need and as a consequence reducing their ability to sense their surroundings.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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A Kurdziel wrote:There is no need to wear noise protection “just in case”. The noise levels should be monitored over time and if the average weighted noise level over a shift (or a week’s worth of shifts) is over 85dB then measures including hearing protection should be used. Exposing someone to 85 dB for a few minutes while they get their hearing protection on should not be an issue. What might be an issue is making people wear hearing protection when there is no need and as a consequence reducing their ability to sense their surroundings. I'm inclined to agree. Other than the peak value of 140 dB(A) both the LAV and the UAV is either an Lepd or an Lepw. However, you don't say what the Leq is likely to be when the kit does start up, other than it is over 85 dB(A). If for example it were 120 dB(A) then the UAV Lepd would be reached in a very short time - 9 seconds.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Russell,
Someone is playing with you, unless the units are very small, fast start gas turbines. Starting and running up power station units (coal, oil, ccgt) does not just suddenly happen, there's a plan somewhere, and part of that would be pre-start checks and an instruction from grid to connect, which would provide time to inform staff hearing protection is needed. Assuming you are a contractor on site, whoever is the site / contractor liaison needs to have a proper discussion with the site team. If they insist then unfortunately it is their train set.....
Jim
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Rank: New forum user
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Thanks to everyone who replied, I agree with you all 100% but as Jim says; it's their train set. Why can't HSE question this stupidity and let site explain 'why'............very frustrating and annoying.
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