Noise Surveys and Assessments

Your Trusted Occupational Hygiene and Environmental Monitoring Partner

Noise Surveys and Assessments

We employ qualified and experienced ‘competent’ scientists to carry out comprehensive noise assessments and can identify workers at risk from hearing damage by carrying out personal exposure measurements using personal dosimetry techniques.

Assessment of the overall risk to hearing can then be undertaken (2005 Regulations place the onus on the employer to reduce noise at source).

We cover:

Determination – Determination of ambient noise levels

Investigation – Investigation and identification of significant noise sources in the workplace

Use of hearing protection is the last line of defence against noise and should never be used as the primary protection method in noisy environments. To ensure that the correct hearing protection is used, our monitoring equipment allows the determination of sound octave bands.

Occupational Noise Surveys

    Noise at work can lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss.
    However, hearing loss is not the only problem caused by noise; tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears) may also occur. Noise can also create stress and can be a safety hazard at work, interfering with communication and making warnings harder to hear.

    Our interpretive reports discuss our findings but also include a remedial action plan, highlighting methods in which noise can be controlled or reduced, wherever necessary.

    Environmental Noise / Nuisance Noise Assessments

      Evaluations conducted to measure and understand the impact of unwanted sound - such as industrial operations, transport, or construction - on both workers and nearby communities.
       
      These assessments help distinguish between occupational noise, which affects employees within the workplace, and environmental noise, which can affect external areas and is often considered a public nuisance. 

      Using standards like BS4142:2014+A1:2019, assessments compare the noise from a source against background levels, factoring in tonal, impulsive, or intermittent characteristics. 

      These surveys are essential for ensuring compliance with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, protecting hearing health, and mitigating broader environmental impacts. We can advise on the use of control measures such as acoustic barriers, operational changes, or equipment modifications to help achieve compliance.