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.