Insulate Magazine Issue 14

Being unable to communicate effectively
on a building site because you are protecting
yourself from detrimental noise
hazards is not just a problem for workers, it
also costs businesses significant amounts
of money through inefficiency. Individually,
small issues such as mishearing an instruction
might seem like a petty annoyance, but
collectively these minor errors can waste
countless hours, sending productivity
plummeting.
The importance of
Hearing Protection Equipment (HPE)
While working in a noisy environment - such as
in the midst of a busy construction project or on
a workshop floor - workers may have to wear
ear protection at all times. The Control of Noise
at Work Regulations (2005) require employers to
prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from
exposure to noise at work[i].
Such protection can however limit communication
which can often lead to another major problem
– reduced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
compliance. For example, using a walkie-talkie
while wearing standard ear defenders is impossible,
so workers are often forced to remove them.
In environments where workers are in close proximity,
they may be tempted to remove their ear
protection if it prevents them from
communicating with one another. This can expose
them to dangerously loud noises, which can
cause complications such as tinnitus or Noise
Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).
NIHL is one of the most common health problems
in loud working environments because the damage
from this sort of exposure is usually gradual;
a worker might not notice it, or might ignore the
signs of irreversible hearing loss until they become
more pronounced.
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