Regular exposure to excessive levels of noise can lead to permanent hearing loss. The NSW Occupational Health and Safety (Noise) Regulation defines excessive noise as noise levels that:

• exceed an 8-hour noise equivalent of 85 dB(A), or
• peak at more than 140 dB(lin) (Eighty five (85) dB (A) is approximately as loud as heavy city traffic)

UNE has a legislative requirement to:

• identify the areas where staff are exposed to excessive levels of noise
• implement control measures and take steps to minimise the risk by reducing noise levels as far as practicable

Best practice for managing excessive noise at UNE involves:

• identifying areas where noise exposure may be a problem and adopting control measures to the reduce the level of noise to as low as practicable and,
• if noise levels cannot be reduced below the legally specified limits providing appropriate hearing protection

Resources
National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, Occupational Noise: National Standard [NOHSC:1007(1993) and National Code of Practice [NOHSC:2009(1993)], AGPS, September 1993.

New South Wales Occupational Health and Safety (Noise) Regulation 1996

Code of Practice for noise management and protection of hearing at work, National Code of Practice for Management and Protection of Hearing at Work [NOHSC:2009 (1993)]

Quiet, please! How employers can prevent noise-induced hearing loss. (Booklet) WorkCover Authority, Sydney, 1992