Shhh…we’re assessing the noise!

We were contacted by a client, who asked us ‘people in the data room can’t hear each other speak. Have we got a noise problem?’

Work-related noise can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage. Damage can either be gradual and occur because of exposure over time or caused by sudden, extremely loud noises. People exposed to work-related noise may also develop tinnitus which sounds like a ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears. It can be very stressful and impact everyday life, including sleep.

Work-related noise can give rise to other safety issues such as not being able to hear warnings, like a fire alarm.

We visited the client and completed a site survey with key stakeholders, including the Maintenance and IT Teams, to identify potentially noisy areas. We identified a generator room, chilled water plant rooms, air handling plant rooms, and additional data rooms.

We spoke with the maintenance and IT teams to understand who worked in the rooms, for how long and how frequently.

We identified that people working in these rooms were a mixture of employees and contractors and the client’s noise at work responsibilities extended to both.

We then took measurements over a set reference period using our calibrated sound meter, and plotted the results on a floorplan to identify where noise levels were below the action level, met the lower or upper exposure action values or where exposure limit values were exceeded.

We carried out and documented a risk assessment which identified the hazards associated with noise, the existing control measures and assessed residual risk levels.

Where risks were not adequately controlled, we made prioritised recommendations to enable the client to control work-related noise risks and comply with the law.