Towards a Better Future: Noise at Work

By A veednan " SIDIIARV 1.. Occupational deafness was once accepted as an unavoidable part of the job to-day such an attitude Is unacceptable.The Noise at Hork Regulations.due to come who force on the 1 January 1980, will provide an additional element in the existing legislative framework for action to ensure that, in future, workers le not longer be exposed to this hazard.1 This paper will look briefly at the problem of occupational deafness and the development of a legal framework for action before presenting an overview of the new regulations. HEARING LOSS 2.The work of Burns a Robinson, recently revised by Professor Robinson indicates that even at the currently recommended limit for unprotected exposure, 90 dB(A).30% of a typical exposed group ofworkers will develop a significant .loss of hearing by the age of 55.This is more than 2 l/Z times the number of non-noise exposed persons likely to experience a similar hearing loss over a similar period.As the level of exposure increases so the risk increases and at