Noise and hearing protection for machinery users

Hearing damage from noise creeps up slowly. HSE puts it bluntly: hearing loss caused by work is preventable, but once your hearing has gone it won’t come back. Damage can also bring tinnitus — a permanent ringing, whistling or buzzing in the ears.

Machinery is a big part of the problem, and it doesn’t only affect people at work. This guide uses HSE’s guidance and the makers’ own noise figures.

How loud are the machines?

Makers publish sound levels in their specifications. A few examples from the machines in this guide:

• Makita LS1019L mitre saw: sound pressure 91 dB(A).
• Makita MLT100N table saw: sound pressure 89 dB(A).
• SIP 5 ton electric log splitter: 89.9 dB(A) at full load.
• SIP 8 ton petrol log splitter: 108 dB(A).
• Draper Expert 2000 W generator: 95 dB(A) at 4 m.
• SIP 50 litre chip extractor: sound pressure 83.4 dB(A).

At the quieter end, SIP rates its QT 24 litre compressor at 59 dB and Makita gives 72 dB(A) for its VC2512L extractor. Makers measure in different ways and at different distances, so treat these as a guide rather than a league table.

The levels in the law

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 apply to workers in Great Britain. HSE summarises the key levels:

• 80 dB(A) (daily or weekly average exposure): employers must assess the risk and give workers information and training.
• 85 dB(A): employers must provide hearing protection and set up hearing protection zones.
• 87 dB(A): an exposure limit that must not be exceeded, taking account of the hearing protection worn.

HSE also says workers regularly exposed above 85 dB(A) need health surveillance (hearing checks). The regulations don’t apply to members of the public in their own non-work activities — but your ears don’t know the difference between a job and a weekend project.

Are you at risk? HSE’s questions

HSE’s advice for workers lists signs that noise is a risk:

• the noise is intrusive — like a busy street, a vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant — for most of the day;
• you have to raise your voice to have a normal conversation when about 2 m apart;
• you use noisy powered tools or machinery for over half an hour a day;
• you work in noisy trades such as construction, woodworking, engineering or general fabrication;
• there are impact noises such as hammering;
• your hearing is muffled at the end of the day, even if it is better by the next morning.

Early signs of hearing loss include the family complaining that the television is too loud, trouble using the phone, and finding it hard to catch sounds like “t”, “d” and “s”. HSE notes that hearing loss is usually gradual, so by the time you notice it, it is probably too late — and that very loud or explosive noises can cause instant damage.

Quieter first, protection second

HSE says the most effective way to control noise is at source: quieter processes, damping vibration and spending less time in noisy areas. For a home user that means choosing quieter machines where you can, keeping them maintained and not running them longer than you need to. Then wear hearing protection.

Wearing it properly

HSE’s advice is to wear hearing protection all the time you are doing noisy work: taking it off even for a short while means your hearing could still be damaged. Make sure it fits, look after it and replace it when it is worn.

Earmuffs or earplugs?

uvex explains the standards: EN 352-1 covers earmuffs, EN 352-2 earplugs and EN 352-3 earmuffs mounted on safety helmets. According to uvex, earmuffs suit places where you put protection on and take it off often, while earplugs can be better for continuous noise, in heat (when earmuffs make you sweat), and when you also wear safety glasses, a helmet or a face shield.

Reading the label: SNR

The SNR (single number rating) shows how much a protector reduces noise, in decibels. Examples from the safety kit in this guide:

• JSP Sonis ear defenders: SNR 27–37 dB across the colour-coded range, from green Sonis 1 for lower noise to red Sonis 3 for very loud environments.
• uvex aXess one active earmuffs: 31 dB, with “Real Active Listening” so you can still hear warnings.
• uvex com4-fit earplugs: SNR 33 dB, sized for narrower ear canals.

Pick a protector to suit the noise rather than simply the highest number, and make sure you can still hear what you need to hear.

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