Good day all,

A new company I have started to work for has extremely loud noise issues. The highest recorded is 88db and the lowest is 79db. These levels are continuous throughout a 12-hour shift. 

The previous HSE provided ear protection at 32 snr level which reduces the noise to acceptable levels.

I have suggested we should perform health surveillance on the shifts, but the company is sticking with the previous HSE in that the noise levels have been sufficiently reduced within the range making them acceptable. 

As I understand it we should perform health surveillance where the risk of noise has been identified regardless of actions taken to reduce, in this case, ear protection.

I'm looking at the HSE Daily noise exposure limit value calculator but am a little confused as to what DB (a) and DB(C) are.  I assume (a) is the daily exposure limit but what would (c) be, I this the peak noise level? 

As the noise is constant throughout the shift it would not normally raise over 88 or fall below 77, so again I am assuming I would opt for the worst-case level as the daily and as the peek.

Finally, I also understand that if ear protection reduced the noise to below 70db this too could be an issue so we should look at ear protection which reduces to around that 70 mark.

Interested in people taking on this please, thank you

Rather than trying to explain the filters (A, B, C) in sound measurement

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/decibel-d_59.html

As to surveillance if you aren't measuring you are not in control.

How do you know the supplied PPE is functioning as intended unless you monitor the employees over time?

How do you know that hearing loss claim wasn't already present when the employee joined the company?

How do you know what impact new processes / equipment or alterations in layout are having?

As to SNR at 88 dB(A) you want 20 or less according to the HSE not 32

https://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/goodpractice/hearingoverprotect.htm 

Hi Ballyclover,

I'm unsure when you mention surveillance if you mean Health Servaillance or workplace monitoring to determine actual level of exposure.

IMHO based on the information provided, it would be reasonable to simply accept that the upper level is likely to be exceeded by most of the employees during a 12 shift without the provison of hearing protection. Alternatively, this could be confirmed (or not) by undertaking a properly organsied workplace / personal monitoring assessment of actual exposure levels to workers. 

However, if this is the case, NAW requires that engineered controls to reduced the level of exposure to noise should be impliment were possible. For the purpose of this discussion lets 'assume' that has been done and no more engineered reduction methods are reasonably practicable, the issue is 'Should health sureillance be undertaken?'. The answer is clearly Yes!!

Reg 9(1) of NAW states

"(1) If the risk assessment indicates that there is a risk to the health of his employees who are, or are liable to be, exposed to noise, the employer shall ensure that such employees are placed under suitable health surveillance, which shall include testing of their hearing"

The guidance  then states;

"If the risk assessment indicates that there is a risk to health "

[105] Regulation 9(1) requires you to provide suitable health surveillance where the risk assessment indicates a risk to workers' health, ie a risk from exposure to noise without taking account of the noise reduction provided by hearing protection. The results of your health surveillance will enable you to check, among other things, whether your hearing protection programme has prevented hearing damage.

On the basis that hearing protection is the only effective control in place to reduce the level of noise exposure to below the action levels, then the risk is present and therefore an Audiometric testing programme should be in place.