Recent inspections carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed serious gaps in workplace hearing protection.
Britain’s health and safety watchdog said that 3 in 4 noisy workplaces demonstrated significant failings in workplace hearing protection, with inspectors uncovering issues with employee training and equipment management.
HSE’s latest inspection campaign found that 1 in 4 workplaces had noise levels requiring mandatory hearing protection.
Employees lack essential training on workplace hearing protection
At these workplaces, employers have a legal duty to ensure proper provision and management of protective equipment for workers. But inspectors found that many were failing to fulfil this crucial responsibility.
The HSE said that, at high-noise workplaces visited, they found:
- More than 75% of employees lacked essential knowledge about workplace hearing protection, including storing, checking for damage or reporting faults
- Nearly two thirds (63%) had not received any guidance on the critical importance of wearing this workplace hearing protection continuously during exposure to harmful noise levels
- 80% lacked sufficient training, with employees unaware of proper wearing techniques, including avoiding interference from hats and hoods, keeping hair clear of earmuffs, or ensuring compatibility with other personal protective equipment such as hard hats and eye protection.
Even more concerningly, a massive 95% of employers had failed to verify whether workplace hearing protection still enabled workers to hear vital warning signals such as fire alarms and vehicle reversing alerts, potentially placing them at greater risk.
Workplace hearing protection failings place ‘added risk’ on workers
HSE’s Principal Specialist Inspector, Chris Steel, said the gaps in implementation of workplace hearing protection were “serious” and represented “an added risk to workers of excessive exposure to noise when they may believe they are being protected.”
He added:
“If your defence against workplace noise is to give your workers hearing protection then you need to check that it works. How confident are you that the hearing protection you have supplied is in good order, is being worn when it should be, how it should be, and that it is not stopping your workers from hearing warning signals.”
To help address the issues, the HSE is promoting the CUFF checking system to support employers to assess workplace hearing protection effectiveness. This stands for:
- Condition (equipment integrity)
- Use (proper deployment when needed)
- Fit the ear (correct wearing)
- Fit for purpose (appropriate specification)
Specialists at the watchdog will also provide advice and guidance at industry events and webinars, with practical tips for employers about implementing effective hearing protection programmes and using the CUFF system to protect employees from noise-induced hearing damage caused by their workplace activities.
Workplace health and safety training and support
First Response Training (FRT) is one of the UK’s largest and leading national training providers.
They deliver a wide and diverse range of training for businesses and organisations across all industry sectors and throughout the UK. Their course range includes training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, mental health, food safety, health and social care and more.
Their health and safety training is mapped to current UK standards and legislation and follows HSE guidelines. It includes training awards in Health and Safety, Managing and Supervising Risk, Accident and Incident Investigation, and more.
Based on a common sense, proportionate approach to workplace safety, training helps learners to understand the true benefits of creating a healthy and safe environment at work.
A trainer from FRT explains:
“Exposure to high noise levels on a regular basis during our working lives can have a devastating impact on hearing. It is essential that employers at high-noise workplaces fully understand their role and responsibilities when it comes to workplace hearing protection, and that they are properly implementing all suitable control measures.
“This includes providing all staff members with suitable and sufficient information and training, and updating this regularly.”
For more information on any of the training courses that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.