Eliminate the hazard
Eliminating hazards at the design or planning stage of new and/or renovated workplaces is often easier and cheaper to achieve than making changes later when the hazards become real risks in the workplace.
You should consider:
- Buy quiet – look for the quietest plant and machinery for the job – ask the manufacturer/supplier for information about noise levels. this means having a purchasing and risk assessment process that reduces noise levels
- the effect on noise levels of building reverberation, the building layout and location of workstations relative to any plant
- installing automated plant and equipment to mechanically and/or remotely undertake work involving hazardous noise
- the type of plant and equipment to be installed. Consider the type of noise they generate (eg continuous; impact; intermittent; etc) and the noise level. Avoid impact noise as far as is reasonably practicable.