Noise control & Noise Pollution

Noise control to reduce personnel exposure 

A legislative requirement of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (CoNAWR) is that wherever possible, noise should be eliminated or if not possible, reduced to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). This should be achieved by engineering means first before personal protective equipment such as earplugs and hearing defenders are considered.

By its very wording, ALARP means that the cost-effectiveness of any noise control measure should be assessed carefully and deemed whether its benefits are worthy of its costs. 

Bureau Veritas is capable of carrying out noise control assessments to identify areas and/or machinery that significantly contribute to personnel’s noise exposure and therefore could benefit from the introduction of such measures.

If a NEMS (Noise Exposure Management System) model is being utilised, various simulations can be carried out to evaluate the overall impact of realistically reducing noise levels taking into account the exposure of the employees and the overall effect on the asset. Areas noise levels can be compared with the HSE benchmarking tool that collects information on recorded noise levels per area. Areas found to be falling above the industry average will be highlighted and some outline measures to reduce the noise levels will be given.

Such information will actually allow operators and employers to target specific areas with noise control techniques as the results will show the real changes in the asset’s and personnel’s noise exposure. Operators will then be able to assess whether the noise control methods are worthy of the costs which will assist with meeting ALARP.

Why Choose Bureau Veritas?

The Acoustics & Vibration Group is a UK specialist team in Bureau Veritas and operates as part of a wider global team of acousticians.  Our team of experienced consultants are all members of the Institute of Acoustics (IoA) and offer specialist noise and vibration consultancy to a wide range of clients. 

We pride ourselves on our customer focus and are able to bring experience from a wide range of sectors, to help our clients achieve compliance with legislation and best practice