NOISE SAFETY ARTICLES
A blog of articles and general information on all things relating to noise assessments or noise surveys at work, or managing employee noise exposure risks.
Advice and information on occupational noise assessments and general tips for managing noise safety risks at work.
Noise assessments ● Hearing protection ● Health surveillance ● Noise Training
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Over-protection - what are the issues?
Over-protection often comes from well-meaning employers buying the strongest hearing protection they can find - hearing protection with the highest SNR. They mean well but it often actually increases risk and for the employer, means more of the money they spend on hearing protection is wasted.
Do forklift drivers have to wear hearing protection?
There is no exemption from the need to wear hearing protection for forklift drivers. High noise will have the same impact on them as on any other person. Their hearing will still be damaged by noise.
Are medical exemptions possible from a need to wear hearing protection?
It is common to hear someone claim a medical exemption from the need to wear hearing protection at work, sometimes backed up with a note or letter from a GP, or sometimes self-claimed, but are medical exemptions from the need to wear hearing protection possible?
Doubling up on hearing protection
A common recommendation I have seen from Occupational Health Physicians has been ‘recommend wear double hearing protection’. What they are saying is that they recommend the person concerned wears two sets of hearing protection, usually a plug and a muff over the top, but to be honest, it is nonsense and usually has no link to the findings of the noise assessment.