Tackling workplace noise: a hidden productivity killer for SMEs | The Indicator Podcast

Description

Noise in the workplace isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a silent disruptor of focus, wellbeing, and performance. In this episode, we sit down with experts and SME leaders to explore how sound impacts productivity, employee satisfaction, and even business outcomes. From open-plan offices to remote work setups, we uncover practical strategies to manage noise and create healthier, more effective work environments.

🔊 Whether you're an SME owner, manager, or team member, this conversation will help you rethink the soundscape of your workplace.

👉 Listen now and join the conversation.

Visit www.lefebvre-uk.co.uk to explore our product range, or connect with us on social media:

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Duncan
Welcome, everyone, to our discussion on workplace safety and wellbeing. Today we are diving deep into the topic of workplace noise. My name is Duncan Callow, I'm the Managing Director of Lefebvre in the UK, and I'm delighted to be joined by our expert in occupational health - and that's Rachel Wildman. Hello, Rachel.
Rachel
Hi Duncan, thank you very much for having me. And it's an honour to be able to discuss a very important topic in the workplace that something can be done about, so thank you.
Duncan
Okay, well, let's delve into the nub of the problem. Rachel, could you elaborate on what noise entails and why it actually poses a significant threat in the workplace?
Rachel
Yeah, absolutely. Well noise, weirdly, by its definition is really unwanted sound but really it's sort of any nuisance noise or any prolonged noise that can cause a problem to an individual. Adverse effects is - it can cause hearing damage obviously, but there are some other sort of side effects that it can cause, such as reduced concentration, which could in turn lead to accidents. It could really reduce productivity, et cetera, because you can't concentrate on something. And from other health aspects, it can also cause sleep disturbances and stress, which, as we know, mental health and stress in the workplace is very common. So, again, if we can, as employers, work on reducing noise then that sort of meets our duty of care for the knock-on effect of mental health issues as well. It can also be a major contributor to accidents, so for example if you're working in a very noisy construction site or a warehouse you might not hear an alarm going off, you might not hear a vehicle reversing etc., so a noisy workplace can have a direct impact on accidents as well.
Duncan
So there's clearly a lot more to this than meets the ear, so to speak! Can you explain how does prolonged exposure to high noise levels affect employees in the workplace and what the long-term implications might be?
Rachel
Yeah, absolutely. So, of course, noise generally can be immediate, so it can, you know, a very loud noise can burst an eardrum, but that's really quite rare - it doesn't often happen. Most individuals have problems through prolonged exposure, as you said. So it's really any noise levels that, you know, when you leave the workplace and your ears are ringing or anything like that, that you feel you're having to raise your voice, that is an indication that there's a prolonged noise exposure level in the workplace. So touching more on the health implications of that, then it can cause irreversible hearing loss. It can cause tinnitus, which is that ringing in the ears. And it can even cause cardiovascular problems as well. And overall, what that does to the individual is it can impair their quality of life and their work productivity as well. So it can have a very, very negative impact. But because we're talking about individuals here, really, it's important to understand that there's different susceptibilities. Everybody has a different level of what affects them and what doesn't. And of course, we all have very different lifestyles. So some people might like sort of peace and quiet in their downtime. Others might like going to loud rock concerts or standing in pit lanes and motor racing, etc. So, again, everyone's very different and has very different lifestyles. And that can all impact the problem of hearing loss.
Duncan
Well, you're harking back to my youth. I used to attend motorhead concerts in my youth. But in the workplace, what are we really talking about here, Rachel? What is noisy? What does it really mean?
Rachel
OK, so noisy - a very good question! So if you are working in a quiet office, the readings that the average decibel readings which are taken are roughly about 60 decibels. And that's over a time-weighted average of eight hours, which is roughly the most shifts that we do in the UK. So a quiet office is about 60 decibels. That's not a problem. You know, if you're working out and in landscaping etc. they're about 80 decibels so that's starting to get quite loud. Roadside traffic is about 85 decibels, pneumatic drill is about 100 decibels and for comparison a jet engine taking off is about 140 decibels. Now those are just figures, they might not mean very much, so what you need to understand is that noise is measured on a logarithmic scale. So basically it means it doubles in intensity for every three decibels that you add. So, for example, 80 decibels, which is that lawnmower, is twice as loud as 77 decibels. So where we're saying a quiet office is 60 decibels on average and a jet engine is 140. That means the jet engine is not just double plus a little bit. It's exponentially much, much louder than that quiet office.
Duncan
Interesting. OK, so let's get legal. What duties are UK employers under concerning noise management and safeguarding their employees?
Rachel
OK, so as always, there's the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, which places a duty of care on employers to look after their staff and anybody who's affected by their works. But specifically, there's the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. And what those say is that you have to assess and control the risks of noise in your workplace. So, really, those regulations also stipulate two action levels. So the first action level is 80 decibels. So this is an indicator that controls should be considered, and this is set because this is roughly the noise level where people do start to go home with that ringing in their ears or they're finding they're struggling to watch the TV in the evening etc etc. So the reason there's two action levels is, as I say, there are personal susceptibilities, maybe underlying medical conditions that can contribute to that. But the first action level that employers need to understand is that 80 decibels. And then the second action level is 85. And that means you need to do a more urgent response, because that means that it's likely that everybody in your workforce will be susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss. So that's when it becomes critical to act. Now what those actions are and what the legal regulations say is that you have to assess and control those risks as an employer. It's like everything with health and safety: it all starts with that risk assessment, because if you don't know what you're facing, you don't know what reasonably practicable controls you can put in place. You should be looking at engineering solutions and we'll come on to those in a bit more detail, I'm sure. It's about training your staff, if you know that you've got a problem with noise in the workplace. It's about making them understand the impacts it can have on them. Look out for signs and symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss, i.e. that ringing in the ears, headaches, loss of concentration, etc. So that your staff understand that there could be a problem and that they can come to you and you can do something about it. You should also be measuring and monitoring noise in your workplace regularly. And there are some really simple ways that you can do that that are cost-effective with our smartphones we all have these days. There are many free apps out there. They probably wouldn't stand up in a court of law. I'm not going to lie. But what it does do is give you a very good indication of whether or not you've got a problem and where your average noise levels are lying in the workplace. You know whether you need to do more. And then finally, if you can't do anything to reduce the noise, then you need to provide PPE to your staff.
Duncan
OK. So, that's helpful. That's the legal stuff. But what are the sort of effective control measures? We've touched on a few of them, but what additional control measures can employers adopt to mitigate the noise risks systematically? And from your experience, what are the practical and cost-effective recommendations for our viewers and listeners to consider?
Rachel
OK, well, very good question. So, again, it doesn't have to be expensive Once you've got your baseline assessments and you understand what you're facing, we discussed 80 decibels is twice as loud as 77 decibels. But what you can do, that's taken from a metre measurement away from the source of noise. And a very, very simple solution is to extend that distance, because if you extend that distance from one metre to two metres, you're halving the decibel level that that person is exposed to. So it can be a very, very simple solution such as that. When we look at noise, we look at what they call the source, which is where the noise is being generated from. We look at the pathway, which is how it travels, which is generally through the air. And then we look at the receiver, which is the person who is absorbing that noise. So, again, really some very simple solutions to look at is can you reduce the source of noise? So, a really simple one is look at what is making the noise. If it's machinery, is it rattling or vibrating? It might be as simple as just purely oiling it, lubricating it. It might be tightening belts. It might be balancing that machinery - I'm sure we've all had that wobbly washing machine at home that, sort of, you know, if you haven't sort of levelled it properly, it starts to wobble and make a horrible noise as the drum is turning, and, again, just simply balancing some of your machinery might be enough to dramatically reduce the noise that your staff are exposed to.
Duncan
Okay. And what do you think about PPE? Should people be wearing ear defenders and things like that? Is that a suitable control measure?
Rachel
It is. But as with everything, you know, you should really look at those engineering solutions first and, you know, try and prove to an enforcement authority or an investigation that actually you're doing everything you can to engineer the solution to as low as reasonably practicable, because the problem with noise is it can affect everybody in the workplace. If you're providing PPE, you're only protecting that individual who's wearing it, not anybody else. So it's really important to work down that hierarchy of controls. Look at your source, your pathway, you know, see if you can put things like barriers in the pathway because that can then deflect that noise. So, again, that's better for everybody rather than just relying on that PPE. And, of course, with PPE, it's only good if people are wearing it properly. You know, the amount of times I've seen people walking along with their ear plugs sort of here and not actually in their ear canal, so it's not doing any good, if they're not inserted them properly.
Duncan
Well, Rachel, thank you very much for giving us a pretty detailed overview of the risks associated with uhworkplace noise and I'm sure that everybody who's been watching and listening will benefit from your wisdom, so thank you. And if you'd like more details about our range of health and safety products, many of which are now powered by AI, please do visit us at www.lefebvre-uk.co.uk or give us a call on 01233 653 500. But for now thank you very much for sharing your time with us.

Description

🔊 Whether you're an SME owner, manager, or team member, this conversation will help you rethink the soundscape of your workplace.

👉 Listen now and join the conversation.

Visit www.lefebvre-uk.co.uk to explore our product range, or connect with us on social media:

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Duncan
Welcome, everyone, to our discussion on workplace safety and wellbeing. Today we are diving deep into the topic of workplace noise. My name is Duncan Callow, I'm the Managing Director of Lefebvre in the UK, and I'm delighted to be joined by our expert in occupational health - and that's Rachel Wildman. Hello, Rachel.
Rachel
Hi Duncan, thank you very much for having me. And it's an honour to be able to discuss a very important topic in the workplace that something can be done about, so thank you.
Duncan
Okay, well, let's delve into the nub of the problem. Rachel, could you elaborate on what noise entails and why it actually poses a significant threat in the workplace?
Rachel
Yeah, absolutely. Well noise, weirdly, by its definition is really unwanted sound but really it's sort of any nuisance noise or any prolonged noise that can cause a problem to an individual. Adverse effects is - it can cause hearing damage obviously, but there are some other sort of side effects that it can cause, such as reduced concentration, which could in turn lead to accidents. It could really reduce productivity, et cetera, because you can't concentrate on something. And from other health aspects, it can also cause sleep disturbances and stress, which, as we know, mental health and stress in the workplace is very common. So, again, if we can, as employers, work on reducing noise then that sort of meets our duty of care for the knock-on effect of mental health issues as well. It can also be a major contributor to accidents, so for example if you're working in a very noisy construction site or a warehouse you might not hear an alarm going off, you might not hear a vehicle reversing etc., so a noisy workplace can have a direct impact on accidents as well.
Duncan
So there's clearly a lot more to this than meets the ear, so to speak! Can you explain how does prolonged exposure to high noise levels affect employees in the workplace and what the long-term implications might be?
Rachel
Yeah, absolutely. So, of course, noise generally can be immediate, so it can, you know, a very loud noise can burst an eardrum, but that's really quite rare - it doesn't often happen. Most individuals have problems through prolonged exposure, as you said. So it's really any noise levels that, you know, when you leave the workplace and your ears are ringing or anything like that, that you feel you're having to raise your voice, that is an indication that there's a prolonged noise exposure level in the workplace. So touching more on the health implications of that, then it can cause irreversible hearing loss. It can cause tinnitus, which is that ringing in the ears. And it can even cause cardiovascular problems as well. And overall, what that does to the individual is it can impair their quality of life and their work productivity as well. So it can have a very, very negative impact. But because we're talking about individuals here, really, it's important to understand that there's different susceptibilities. Everybody has a different level of what affects them and what doesn't. And of course, we all have very different lifestyles. So some people might like sort of peace and quiet in their downtime. Others might like going to loud rock concerts or standing in pit lanes and motor racing, etc. So, again, everyone's very different and has very different lifestyles. And that can all impact the problem of hearing loss.
Duncan
Well, you're harking back to my youth. I used to attend motorhead concerts in my youth. But in the workplace, what are we really talking about here, Rachel? What is noisy? What does it really mean?
Rachel
OK, so noisy - a very good question! So if you are working in a quiet office, the readings that the average decibel readings which are taken are roughly about 60 decibels. And that's over a time-weighted average of eight hours, which is roughly the most shifts that we do in the UK. So a quiet office is about 60 decibels. That's not a problem. You know, if you're working out and in landscaping etc. they're about 80 decibels so that's starting to get quite loud. Roadside traffic is about 85 decibels, pneumatic drill is about 100 decibels and for comparison a jet engine taking off is about 140 decibels. Now those are just figures, they might not mean very much, so what you need to understand is that noise is measured on a logarithmic scale. So basically it means it doubles in intensity for every three decibels that you add. So, for example, 80 decibels, which is that lawnmower, is twice as loud as 77 decibels. So where we're saying a quiet office is 60 decibels on average and a jet engine is 140. That means the jet engine is not just double plus a little bit. It's exponentially much, much louder than that quiet office.
Duncan
Interesting. OK, so let's get legal. What duties are UK employers under concerning noise management and safeguarding their employees?
Rachel
OK, so as always, there's the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, which places a duty of care on employers to look after their staff and anybody who's affected by their works. But specifically, there's the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. And what those say is that you have to assess and control the risks of noise in your workplace. So, really, those regulations also stipulate two action levels. So the first action level is 80 decibels. So this is an indicator that controls should be considered, and this is set because this is roughly the noise level where people do start to go home with that ringing in their ears or they're finding they're struggling to watch the TV in the evening etc etc. So the reason there's two action levels is, as I say, there are personal susceptibilities, maybe underlying medical conditions that can contribute to that. But the first action level that employers need to understand is that 80 decibels. And then the second action level is 85. And that means you need to do a more urgent response, because that means that it's likely that everybody in your workforce will be susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss. So that's when it becomes critical to act. Now what those actions are and what the legal regulations say is that you have to assess and control those risks as an employer. It's like everything with health and safety: it all starts with that risk assessment, because if you don't know what you're facing, you don't know what reasonably practicable controls you can put in place. You should be looking at engineering solutions and we'll come on to those in a bit more detail, I'm sure. It's about training your staff, if you know that you've got a problem with noise in the workplace. It's about making them understand the impacts it can have on them. Look out for signs and symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss, i.e. that ringing in the ears, headaches, loss of concentration, etc. So that your staff understand that there could be a problem and that they can come to you and you can do something about it. You should also be measuring and monitoring noise in your workplace regularly. And there are some really simple ways that you can do that that are cost-effective with our smartphones we all have these days. There are many free apps out there. They probably wouldn't stand up in a court of law. I'm not going to lie. But what it does do is give you a very good indication of whether or not you've got a problem and where your average noise levels are lying in the workplace. You know whether you need to do more. And then finally, if you can't do anything to reduce the noise, then you need to provide PPE to your staff.
Duncan
OK. So, that's helpful. That's the legal stuff. But what are the sort of effective control measures? We've touched on a few of them, but what additional control measures can employers adopt to mitigate the noise risks systematically? And from your experience, what are the practical and cost-effective recommendations for our viewers and listeners to consider?
Rachel
OK, well, very good question. So, again, it doesn't have to be expensive Once you've got your baseline assessments and you understand what you're facing, we discussed 80 decibels is twice as loud as 77 decibels. But what you can do, that's taken from a metre measurement away from the source of noise. And a very, very simple solution is to extend that distance, because if you extend that distance from one metre to two metres, you're halving the decibel level that that person is exposed to. So it can be a very, very simple solution such as that. When we look at noise, we look at what they call the source, which is where the noise is being generated from. We look at the pathway, which is how it travels, which is generally through the air. And then we look at the receiver, which is the person who is absorbing that noise. So, again, really some very simple solutions to look at is can you reduce the source of noise? So, a really simple one is look at what is making the noise. If it's machinery, is it rattling or vibrating? It might be as simple as just purely oiling it, lubricating it. It might be tightening belts. It might be balancing that machinery - I'm sure we've all had that wobbly washing machine at home that, sort of, you know, if you haven't sort of levelled it properly, it starts to wobble and make a horrible noise as the drum is turning, and, again, just simply balancing some of your machinery might be enough to dramatically reduce the noise that your staff are exposed to.
Duncan
Okay. And what do you think about PPE? Should people be wearing ear defenders and things like that? Is that a suitable control measure?
Rachel
It is. But as with everything, you know, you should really look at those engineering solutions first and, you know, try and prove to an enforcement authority or an investigation that actually you're doing everything you can to engineer the solution to as low as reasonably practicable, because the problem with noise is it can affect everybody in the workplace. If you're providing PPE, you're only protecting that individual who's wearing it, not anybody else. So it's really important to work down that hierarchy of controls. Look at your source, your pathway, you know, see if you can put things like barriers in the pathway because that can then deflect that noise. So, again, that's better for everybody rather than just relying on that PPE. And, of course, with PPE, it's only good if people are wearing it properly. You know, the amount of times I've seen people walking along with their ear plugs sort of here and not actually in their ear canal, so it's not doing any good, if they're not inserted them properly.
Duncan
Well, Rachel, thank you very much for giving us a pretty detailed overview of the risks associated with uhworkplace noise and I'm sure that everybody who's been watching and listening will benefit from your wisdom, so thank you. And if you'd like more details about our range of health and safety products, many of which are now powered by AI, please do visit us at www.lefebvre-uk.co.uk or give us a call on 01233 653 500. But for now thank you very much for sharing your time with us.

Embed