The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require you, as an employer, to carry out a “suitable and sufficient” assessment of the risk from noise. Underpinning that is a general duty, from the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, to appoint a competent person to help you meet your health and safety duties — and noise assessment is a specialist enough area that this matters in practice, not just on paper.
What “competent” means here
There is no single certificate that automatically makes someone competent for every site. In practice it means having the right combination of:
- Calibrated equipment used correctly — sound level meters and dosimeters need regular calibration, and the right instrument (and microphone position) for the task being measured.
- Understanding of the standard — how to measure representative exposure across a shift, not just a single reading in a quiet moment.
- Judgement to identify what a “typical” working day actually looks like, including tasks that vary by season, shift pattern or order book.
Why an in-house reading often falls short
A quick reading with a borrowed meter can tell you a level is loud. It rarely tells you the two things that actually drive your duties: the correctly time-weighted daily/weekly exposure figure, and where the 85 dB(A) and 87 dB(A) lines actually fall across your floor. Both require a structured survey, not a spot check.
What to ask before you commission one
- Is the equipment calibrated, and can you see the certificate?
- Will the survey cover a representative working day for every affected role, not just the loudest machine?
- Will you get a report you can act on — action values crossed, by area and task — not just a single average number for the whole site?
Not sure where your site stands?
Take the free 60-second check, or talk to us about the 4-Year Care Plan.
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