Find out about proposed new noise Regulations
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Procter Machine Guarding product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jul 5, 2004
Procter Machinery Guarding is urging machine builders to study the HSE's proposals for new Control of Noise at Work Regulations, as it gives an insight into what will soon be required.
The HSC (Health and Safety Commission) has recently published Consultative Document 196, 'Proposals for new Control of Noise at Work Regulations implementing the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive (2003/10/EC)' and comments have been sought from interested parties; the closing date for this was 25 June 2004.
This Consultative Document has been issued by the HSC in compliance with its duty to consult bodies which appear to it to be appropriate before submitting proposals for the making of Regulations and the issue of Approved Codes of Practice.
The Consultative Document contains the HSC's proposals to introduce new Regulations to control the risks to health from exposure to noise at work.
The draft Regulations have been developed in order to comply with the European Union (EU) Physical Agents (Noise) Directive (2003/10/EC) which aims to protect workers from risks to their health arising from exposure to noise.
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss is usually gradual, due to prolonged exposure to noise, although it can be caused immediately by sudden, extremely loud, explosive noises such as from guns or cartridge-operated machines.
Such hearing loss is irreversible, but completely preventable.
Research suggests that just over a million people in Great Britain are exposed to potentially hazardous noise at work.
Whether or not you are likely to make any comment on the proposed Regulations, sections of the Consultative Document are worth reading to gain an insight into the likely direction that the new Regulations will take.
For example, it is made very clear that the use of hearing protection should be a measure of last resort; the HSE would rather see the noise level reduced.
Noise emissions have always had to be considered as part of the CE marking process for machinery, so the basic concepts should not be new to machine designers.
It should also be borne in mind that the proposed Regulations are targeted at more at employers than machine builders.
Nevertheless, it would be wise to take the proposed Regulations into account when designing new machinery, especially as many of the noise limits are lower than before.
As the draft guidance states: "Following the guidance is not compulsory and you are free to take other action.
"But if you do follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law.
"Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice".
Indeed, for most readers Annex 2 of the Consultative Document, headed 'Guidance on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005', will be the most informative section.
Other sections within the document include the draft Regulations, the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive 2003/10/EC, an at-a-glance table showing the provisions of the new Regulations compared with existing legal duties, and a form for submitting comments on the proposals.
A copy of the Consultative Document can be downloaded for free from the HSE's web site (http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd196.htm) as a PDF file (975kB) and there is also a link to a page on the HSE's web site with further information about noise at work - including a hard-hitting audio demonstration of noise-induced hearing loss.
To find out about Procter's acoustic enclosures for machinery, look at the 'Products' section of the web site.
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Contact Procter Machine Guarding
Tel +44 (0)29 2088 2222
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