Working in noise is not pleasant. It may also cause health damage and hearing damage. Therefore, the employer should ensure that working conditions are not exceeded.

Noise is undesirable, unpleasant, annoying or harmful mechanical vibrations of an elastic medium acting through the air on the organ of hearing, senses and parts of the human body.

Noise can be divided according to frequency into:

• infrasonic noise, inaudible but felt, with a frequency lower than 20 Hz;
• audible noise with a frequency in the range of 20–20,000 Hz;
• ultrasonic noise, inaudible, with a frequency of over 20,000 Hz.

Taking into account hearing protection, the regulations allow the following noise levels in the work environment:

• 85 dB – in relation to 8-hour daily working time,
• 115 dB – maximum sound level, marked A,
• 135 dB – peak sound level, marked C.

These values ​​are specified in the annex to the regulation on the maximum permissible concentrations and intensities of factors harmful to health in the work environment.

In a room intended for an employee’s rest, the noise level cannot exceed the permissible values ​​for administrative and office rooms: 55 dB.

The employer is obliged to protect the employee from noise in the workplace. Therefore, he should ensure the use of:

• technological processes that do not cause excessive noise,
• machines and other technical devices causing the lowest possible noise, not exceeding the permissible values,
• solutions to reduce noise levels in work processes.

If the permissible noise level standards are exceeded, despite the use of possible technical and organizational solutions, the employer is obliged to:

• determine the causes of exceeding the permissible noise level and develop and apply a program of technical and organizational activities aimed at most effectively reducing employees’ exposure to noise,
• provide employees with individual hearing protection, matched to the noise characteristics and individual characteristics of employees, and their use. Personal protective equipment intended to prevent the harmful effects of noise should reduce noise to such an extent that the maximum sound level A perceived by the user does not exceed the permissible values. These measures should have labels indicating the noise attenuation value and comfort index value provided by the measure, and if this is not possible, the labels should be placed on the factory packaging of the measure,
• limit the time of exposure to noise (including breaks at work),
• mark noise-risk zones and limit access to these zones by fencing them off, if it is justified and possible due to the degree of threat.

The employer should inform the employee about:

• noise and health risk measurement results,
• actions taken in connection with exceeding the permissible noise levels at specific positions,
• proper selection and use of individual hearing protection.

Wojciech Napora (Zielona Linia 19524, Employment Services Information Center)

Source:https://kadry.infor.pl/bhp/bezpieczenstwo-pracy/6414325,halas-w-miejscu-pracy-pracowca-musi-chronic-pracownikow.html

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.