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Good vibrations
Page 38
Page 39
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Tough new regulations on workplace vibration and noise levels were introduced this month.
What do they mean for operators?
Pat Hagan reports.
To an employer, a noisy workplace might signify a busy workplace. But excessive noise could end up costing bosses heavily in terms of staff health.
It is estimated that around 170,000 people in the UK suffer deafness or tinnitus — a permanent ringing in the ears —as a result of exposure to noise at work. Loud noise at work can cause irreversible damage by accelerating the normal hearing loss that occurs as we grow older.
Now tough new measures are being put in place that will tighten existing regulations on safe limits for workers in all industries.
Under the terms of the EU Physical Agents Directive, employers will be expected to carry out risk assessments if there is any reason to suspect employees might suffer hearing damage and to take steps to protect them.
The Directive also sets limits on exposure to vibration in the workplace, in order to limit damage to muscles and joints through prolonged periods of "jolting" and movement.
Operators who fail to comply could face compensation claims from employees on the grounds that their health has been damaged by the employer ignoring duty of care.
After 10 years in the making, the Directive is being implemented in stages.
The part covering vibration — the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations — took effect in the UK in July this year.
Separate regulations covering noise limits have to be implemented in this country by next February.These will replace the existing Noise at Work Regulations 1989. In short, the new measures tighten up the limits set on noise exposure. Under current regulations, employers are required to assess the risks and take action when daily exposure to noise tops 85 decibels, averaged out over an eight-hour period. Workers also have a right to hearing tests
Taking action
If the noise hits 90dB(A),the employer needs to amend or remove the source of the noise —such as an ageing machine—and if it hits the 'peak' level of 140dB(A), they have to provide ear plugs or muffs to protect employees' hearing.
The new EU Directive states bosses will have to act when noise hits 80dB (A) —5dB(A) lower than current limits, The second action level will also be reduced by 5dB(A) to 85.
The maximum noise level allowed when staff have been provided with suitable hearing protection will be 87dB(A).
For the road transport industry excessive noise is likely to be an issue, not least because a driver who cannot hear properly is potentially unsafe. Noisy yards and workshops will have to be urgently assessed. The only requirement on hearing at the moment is that a driver must be able to hold a conversation on a telephone in an emergency. Some occupational health experts believe there should be tougher requirements.
But how do you know if you have a noise problem in your workplace? The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says that as a rule of thumb if you cannot hear a normal conversation when you are two metres away from the person speaking, then the noise level is likely to be around 8.5dB(A) or higher — well above the new lower limit.
If you cannot hear someone clearly when you are about one metre away, the noise level is likely to be around 90dB(A).
Vibration regs
Yet a much bigger headache for some hauliers could lie in the regulations covering whole body vibration, These aim to reduce problems such as IIIback pain, sore joints and aching muscles among staff exposed to vibration every day. Much of the focus in the past has been on so-called hard-arm vibration, caused by using hand-held power tools.
But the Directive also covers whole body vibration, a problem mostly confined to drivers working on uneven ground — such as agricultural vehicles, forestry trucks, tippers or anything used in quarries. The HSE says vibration-induced back pain can he the result of simple faults, such as incorrect driver seating, poor driver posture or exposure to shocks and jolts.
"Shock and jolts are the main risk factors that need to be avoided," says a spokesman.
The Directive states employers must reduce vibration to a minimum, give staff information and training, assess the amount of exposure and carry out a programme of measures to protect them against damage.
Occupational health experts say a good starting point for hauliers is to assess how many drivers have musculoskeletal problems such as back pain, stiff neck, shoulder pain or achingjoints.
That could be an early indication that whole body vibration is a problem, Vibration is measured in terms of acceleration, as metres per second squared, Current HSE recommendations state it should not exceed 2.8m/sec'.
The new EU Directive states it should not exceed 1.I5m/sec and that employers should take action to protect drivers once it goes over 0.5misee.
It also measures movement in different directions, rather than just forward, as current rules state.
you're driving on roads this won't apply to you," says the HSE, "But if you're in the construction trade, quarries, or agriculture, it could affect you," is
CONTACT
Health and Safety Executive controlling back pain risks from whole body vibration www.hse.gov.uk/vihration/information.htm Health and Safety Executive dealing with noise www.hse.gov.uk/noise/issues.htm