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Three ways to reduce noise 1) Redesign the work environment Keep noisy machinery and processes away from quieter areas or areas where people spend most of their time. Use absorptive material to reduce reflected sound. Noise at work 2) Inform about noise issues Give employees information, instruction and training about the risks, control measures and hearing protection. 3) Use equipment with built-in noise protection In office environments the telephone can represent the greatest risk. So choose a phone and headset combination that not only cuts off sound spikes, but also lowers average noise levels. For more information visit www.gnnetcom.co.uk www.gnnetcom.co.uk A guide to noise regulations GN Netcom UK ) Tamesis ) The Glanty) Egham, Surrey, TW20 9AW ) tel 01784 220 140 ) fax 01784 220 144 ) www.gnnetcom.co.uk ) email [email protected] ) Co. Reg. No. 2230550 ) A guide to noise regulations Noise at work made simple When is noise harmful? New Europe-wide noise at work regulations have been implemented in spring 2006. This Noise can harm a person in two ways. As booklet can help your workplace comply with those regulations. we all know, very loud and sudden sounds dB(C) High and sudden sound peaks are measured in C-weighting. dB (C) may lead to temporary deafness, ringing What is noise? in the ears (tinnitus) or even permanent When we speak of noise at work, we do not simply mean loud or annoying sounds. Noise hearing loss. But there is another kind of at work means the grand total of all acoustic presence in your workplace, whether you are noise that is just as harmful: the constant a conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a call-centre employee or a construction exposure to high noise levels throughout a worker on the M1. workday. Not only can it lead to stress and illness, but also to hearing loss over time. To distinguish between these two kinds of harmful sounds, we need to know how to dB (A) dB(A) Average sound levels throughout a period like a working day are measured in A-weighting. 140 dB: Jet taking off, 25m away measure them. How is sound measured? Noise is measured in decibels or dB for short. 80 dB: Heavy traffic 60 dB: Normal conversation Because of the way the human ear works, we can only perceive changes of 3 dB in 40 dB: Quiet office sound levels. Yet every 3 dB doubles the sound output, so what might seem like small differences in numbers can be quite significant. 25 db: Whispering Some examples of typical noise levels. A quiet office may range from 40-50 dB, while a road drill can produce 100-110 dB. When is loud, too loud? New Europe-wide noise regulations were Upper exposure action values Exposure limit values introduced in 2005 to protect the workforce daily or weekly average exposure of daily or weekly average exposure of against the most widespread industrial injury 85 dB(A) 87 dB(A) of the 21st century. These regulations peak sound pressure of 137 dB(C) peak sound pressure of 140 dB(C) require employers to take specific action at three distinct action values: Lower exposure action values At this level and above, the employer must These values must never be exceeded. take steps to reduce noise exposure to the If a limit value is exceeded the employer daily or weekly average exposure of lowest level that is reasonably practical. must identify the cause and take steps 80 dB(A) Through information and training, employees to ensure that it cannot happen again. peak sound pressure of 135 dB(C) must learn about noise at work and the The employer must provide training and risks. All employees must wear suitable The figures for daily or weekly averages hearing protection, which the employer are measured throughout an 8 hour work must supply. day. If you cannot lower exposure levels, information on noise at work and how you might have to lower exposure time. to prevent damage. Suitable hearing If you halve the time spent in a noisy area protection must be available to any it will reduce noise exposure by 3 dB. employees who want to use it, though they do not have to. Noise and phones ... and three potential risks Acoustic trauma Acoustic shock High average noise levels System failures can emit very loud sound Sudden, unexpected, loud noises well below If most of the working day is spent on the spikes, which may lead to permanent loss levels that cause trauma may affect hearing. phone, the permitted average noise levels of hearing. Many UK-based call centres are These effects can include ear pain, dizziness, can easily be exceeded. also experiencing problems with malicious tinnitus (noises heard in the ear) and callers who use whistles or similar devices sensitivity to loud sounds. In the UK the Extra care has to be taken with VoIP systems, to harm call centre employees. Health and Safety Executive has issued where the headset might be the only guard guidelines on action to take. protecting the user’s ears. So the choice of Headsets made to European standards the right equipment is paramount. limit sound in the ear to levels well below The guidelines are a sensible approach to those that cause immediate hearing take in any call centre, but anyone who has damage, but acoustic trauma is a recognised hearing disturbance for more than a few problem with mobile phones and wireless days should also have an early audiological handsets. assessment. Warning: VoIP has only one protection level What can you do to protect your colleagues? The Health and Safety Executive’s guidelines Granted, the noise regulations may seem Current advice to call centres is that they daunting. However, only a few easy steps should implement a traceable reporting are necessary to significantly reduce the system for headset users who may have risk of noise-related work accidents in an been exposed to acoustic shock incidents. office environment. Start by focusing on The following information should be reported: those especially at risk: Date and time of the incident employees in call centres Details of the source of the exposure receptionists Description of the noise support staff using telephones Duration of the exposure sales staff Details of the headset and telephone equipment used The risk for these groups is higher Whether the incident was electronically for one simple reason: they use their recorded (a copy should be kept for telephone a lot. future reference) Symptoms experienced by the operator directly related to the acoustic shock incident www.acousticshock.org Headsets designed to serve and protect GN 9350 The state-of-the art wireless headset technology from GN Netcom is especially GN 8210 This digital amplifier uses digital signal processor technology to provide a flexible, designed with sound quality and hearing customizable amplifier that combines protection in mind. sound quality with protection. Combined with a GN corded headset, it offers the IntelliToneTM digital signal processing very best in sound quality and protection. automatically regulates sound levels By choosing a headset with duo ear so the average level stays below a cushions, background noise is efficiently selected value kept out of the conversation making it Potentially damaging sound spikes are easier to concentrate. cut off before they reach harmful levels Developed for both traditional telephone Automatically reduces background systems and VoIP noise and adjusts the volume of the incoming call Cuts off harmful sound spikes and maintains a pre-selected average volume Adjustable acoustic settings for each individual user