Even taking into account any reduction in exposure provided by hearing protection, there an upper limit value of 87 decibels above which workers must not be exposed.Īll machines generate sound and vibration and, until recent times, such has been the case with workplace compressors. Employers must provide hearing protection and hearing protection zones when daily or weekly average exposure is up to 85 decibels.
This is higher than a phone's ringtone, which is 70 dBA, but lower than most headphones that can go up to 110 dBA.Īs set by the UK Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers are obliged to assess the risk to workers' health and provide them with information and training if the noise level is 80 decibels and above. The average noise level for an air compressor is 85 dBA. All machines generate sound and vibration, so do compressors. Since hearing loss is an issue, employers need take all the necessary actions to prevent this. In the most severe cases the outcome is irreversible hearing loss affecting workers’ communication, concentration and performance, which in turn impacts on productivity. Noise can also make it harder for workers to hear alarms and warnings, presenting a safety hazard. Working in a noisy environment long term can cause irritation, muffled hearing and increases the risk of developing tinnitus − vibration pressure waves are transformed into sound by tiny hairs in the ear that are flattened by excessive noise and result in the continuous ringing sensation. Probably the most extreme example of this problem was last century’s cotton mill workers deafened to the point that they were unable to communicate vocally even in close proximity to each other. Overall, some 15 per cent of the population has suffered hearing loss as a result of sudden exposure to loud noise or long-term exposure to machinery noise emissions within an industrial environment. It is a matter of record that around 1 in 10 UK adults suffer from tinnitus and 1 in 6 are affected by other hearing loss.