Employers are obliged to prevent employee hearing damage

Too much noise at work can damage hearing. So bad that it can lead to hearing loss, a hearing impairment that no longer heals. To protect employees against hearing impairment, employers must identify the places and activities where this hazard occurs and take measures. Of course, the effectiveness of the measures must also be checked. This can be read on the Occupational health portal, an initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

Permanent hearing damage
Exposure to a large dose of noise will cause temporary hearing loss, tinnitus, or the perception of a beep. In the event of occasional exposure, the hearing will in principle recover. But regular exposure to a large dose causes permanent hearing damage. This damage usually occurs gradually, but can also occur acutely. In the case of gradual hearing damage, it is often the environment that detects the damage.

You can recognize hearing damage as follows:

• The person often starts talking louder.
• The person turns up the sound of TV and radio.
• The person no longer hears high-pitched sounds or soft sounds.
• The person has trouble talking on the phone.
• The person has trouble having a conversation in a noisy environment.
• The person sometimes hears whistles, beeps, or hums.

A lot of noise not only increases the risk of hearing damage, but can sometimes also lead to increased blood pressure, stress, difficulty concentrating and fatigue. In addition, the risk of accidents increases because, for example, warning signals are not heard.

Occupations with a high risk of hearing damage
Occupations that have a lot to do with high noise levels include wood and metal workers, construction workers, truck drivers, defense workers, police officers, farmers, disc jockeys and musicians (members of orchestras). Harmful noise sometimes occurs even in less obvious sectors. Such as in swimming pools, gymnasiums, recreation centers and daycare centers. But prolonged exposure to noise with a lower volume can also cause hearing damage in the long term. In the office sales department, for example, there is prolonged and continuous talk. When a colleague talks a little louder on the phone, the colleague often unconsciously calls louder. And that in turn has the same effect on the person next door! Before you know it, everyone makes so much noise that it becomes a cause of hearing damage.

Sound legislation
Employers are (by law) obliged to prevent (hearing) damage to their staff. Employees themselves also have obligations.

The law has the following rules about noise in the workplace:

• When exposed to a daily dose above 80 dB (A), the employer must provide hearing protectors.
• When exposed to a daily dose above 85 dB (A), employees are required to wear hearing protectors.
• When exposed above 85 dB (A), an Action Plan must be made.
• If the limit value of 87 dB (A) is exceeded (measured in the ear, i.e. taking into account the hearing protectors), care must be taken immediately to bring the noise below this limit.
• Employers must provide their staff with sufficient information about the dangers of noise.
• Employees are entitled to a hearing test to determine that the measures taken are effective.

The sound level is expressed in decibels (dB). To take into account the different sensitivity of the ear to various frequencies, the sound is measured with a so-called A-filter. The unit of sound level is then expressed in dB (A).

Expose for less time
When determining the daily dose of noise, the law assumes a working day of 8 hours a day. The burden caused by noise can be reduced by exposing employees to noise for less time. The decrease when the duration is halved is 3 dB (A). When exposed to 83 dB (A) at 8 hours, the load will become 80 dB (A) at 4 hours, provided that the noise dose is much lower in the other 4 hours.

To get an idea of how much 80 dB (A) is, use the following rule of thumb: if you can't hear a speaker 1 meter away, the sound is probably above 80 dB (A).

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