Noise at Work

Noise at work can harm people’s hearing and create health and safety risks. Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees’ hearing. You may have a noise problem in your workplace if people need to shout or struggle to be heard clearly from about 2 meters away.

Noise doesn’t just cause hearing loss and tinnitus—it can also create stress and interfere with communication, which increases safety risks. The EU Directive 2003/10/EC has lowered the previously accepted noise limits at work, meaning employers must take steps to reduce the harmful effects of noise exposure. The first step is to carry out regular noise assessments.

Norsonic provides a wide range of measurement solutions and reporting software for this purpose. One key area is occupational noise measurement, which focuses on assessing overall noise levels and workers’ exposure to noise. These measurements are done at the employee’s actual workplace—whether in the near field or elsewhere—to ensure reliable results.

When planning noise reduction, it’s also important to consider other machines and reflective surfaces. In some cases, one ear may be exposed to more noise than the other. If so, measurements should be taken at the ear with the highest level—or at both—but never averaged, since the goal is to assess potential hearing damage as accurately as possible.

Norsonic offers a broad selection of products designed to measure workplace noise effectively.