Legal Requirements

WorkSafe regulations revolve around three main issues

Identifying hazardous noise in the workplace.
Control hazardous noise, or protect staff from hazardous noise.
Monitor the hearing of staff that work in hazardous noise, and notify WorkSafe if serious harm occurs.

Whether or not a person is wearing appropriate hearing protection, the following values of noise exposure are considered to be the limit for an acceptable risk to their hearing for a 24 hour period, any more and their hearing should be monitored.

Sound Level DBA	Exposure Time	Example of Noise
85	8 hours	Handsaw
88	4 hours	Truck/Tractor
91	2 hours	Lawn Mower
94	1 hour	Electric table saw
97	30min	Brake Riveter
100	15 min	Grinder/Router, Hammer (striking nail)
102	8 min	Circular Saw
106	4 min	Sandblasting
109	2 min	Impact Wrench
115	30sec	Pneumatic Drill

Monitor Your Employees Hearing on a Regular Basis

It is recommended that testing be done at the commencement of employment, 3 months later, and then every 12 months. You will be provided with full documentation of the results.

Flowchart

Describes the audiometry testing procedure.

Summary of Employers Duties

How Noisy Is Your Workplace?

You can do
10-minute Preliminary Assessment
Answering 'yes' to any of the key factors indicates a probable need to monitor.
For a more comprehensive noise survey you can contact:
Southern Monitoring Services

Approved Code of Practice for the Management of noise in the Workplace

WorkSafe Regulations (free hard-copy available on request from ISA)

Health and Safety in Employment Act s10 (2)(e)

Employers must monitor the health of employees who have been exposed to a significant noise hazard.
For a summary, in relation to noise, see Appendix A in Approved Code of Practice for the Management of Noise in the Workplace.

Workplace Exposure Standard

Employees exposed to noise above the 85DB(A) over an 8-hour day should have their hearing monitored.