Personal Noise Risk Assessment

[toecutter]

Looking for some pointers, folks. Health surveillance at one of our sites produced a recommendation that we carry out a personal noise risk assessment for an employee with reduced hearing. Noise hazards are already covered in the site Risk and Impact Assessments, and the HSE guidance doesn't mention anything about personal noise RAs for people with reduced hearing, just that ongoing surveillance may be required. I've never been to this site, but I'm told that it isn't unusually noisy. My initial reaction is to have the individual fitted for molded earplugs of a suitable spec such that he can still hear alarms, verbal communication etc, and make sure he undergoes suitable monitoring. Am I doing enough to protect him, or is there more I can do?

Many thanks

[Stevie Johnno]

Instead of expensive custom PPE why not modify alarms to have a visual element, rotating Beacon etc? It would cover you if you have any deaf employees or visitors too.

[toecutter]

Thanks, that's an interesting point. The recommendation from the health surveillance was mostly to do with ensuring the individual's compliant with hearing protection, and to be honest I don't really know exactly what they're getting at. It's almost like they're suggesting I need to make a new RA template for him to use to confirm his hearing protection fits properly and is doing its job rather than take any actual steps to protect him better. If asked what measures we've taken, I'd like to be able to say more than "Oh we got him to tick a box to say his earplugs fit ok"

[Steve M]

Before you can even consider hearing protection you need to know exactly what you are dealing with.

Get a noise survey done, I would suggest you get an outside contractor because it can get very involved if you have several sources of noise.

When you know the maximum noise level, you can then consider what PPE would be suitable to bring the risk down to an acceptable level.