The Legal requirement

The legislation requires employers to: -

• Assess the risks to employees from noise at work where exposure is liable to be at or above the lower exposure action value.
• Take action to eliminate or reduce the noise exposure that produces risks to employees as far as is reasonably practicable.
• Provide hearing protection if noise exposure cannot be reduced enough by other means.
• Ensure the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded.
• Provide employees with information, instruction and training.
• Provide health surveillance where there is a risk to health.

A summary of the legal requirements is given in Appendix 1 according to the action value and limit trigger points.