Rank: Forum user 
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Hi, never used this site before so I thought I'd give it a go. Has anyone come across the issue of people using a personal stereo & headphones in at work and if so what was the solution? I have just started with a manufacturing company where it has been tolerated in the past. The arguments the employees have against the removal are that it helps them to concentrate by cutting down on external noise and therefore reduces their stress. (The noise level in both the offices and the factory is generally below any action levels and it is generally a relaxed working environment.) Radios are allowed.
I am loathe to go into the issue of the damage that personal stereos can potentially do (I feel that that is a sticky wicket as it cannot be controlled.) it is difficult to get across to the individuals the potential safety issues of isolation / communication / alarms etc. as they insist that these are not a problem.
I wonder what the implications are of simply writing it into a company policy?
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Rank: Forum user
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I personally wouldn't go in all guns blazing and write it into the policy straight away. You want to get them onboard ideally, and allow them to realise the dangers. I would consider the hazards that this presents, and whether earphones are causing hazards such as not being able to hear traffic etc and going down that route. Let them know that they have a duty themselves and that HSWA section 7 applies.. re-covering the ground you have already mentioned i.e. alarms etc.. If this doesn't work you may have to write it into the policy. Maybe a specific qualitative risk assessment could be done and the results presented, then ask them for suggested control measures, you know they wont have any, so the only acceptable cm would be eliminate..
I am a Health and Safety Director in manufacturing, and personal stereos would most definitely not be allowed in my workshops.
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Rank: Forum user
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thank you, I think the idea of reiterating the info and raising their awareness of their responsibility is a good next step.
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Rank: Forum user
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Hi Rose,
I also recently started as HSE manager in a manufacturing company where headphones were commonly used, and I stopped this practice quite quickly.
As wturner says, be careful of putting it into the policy straight away as if you can convince people its in their own interests, then thats certainly a better approach.
I'd be a little wary of quoting sections of legislation at them.
Hard to give any more advice without knowing a lot more about the context / culture of the company, for example in my situation I was able to almost overnight put a 'ban' on them and put it in the policy, but in the weeks before that I'd introduced a lot of things that were seen as really positive i.e. all new good quality PPE (the stuff they had before was dreadful), an extraction system for the workshop, external training etc - so I was able to 'get away with' one little ban.
hope this helps.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I think its rude to wear the things. On-site they can be dangerous due to local noise/warnings etc can be blocked out to a large extent.
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Rank: Super forum user
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And welcome to our little home-from-home Rose 22702 :-)
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Rank: Forum user
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thanx for the help and the welcome.
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