1. Health Risks in Construction
This toolbox talk looks at the hazards and risks associated with exposure to noise and how it can affect your hearing
Toolbox Talk
Noise
Health Risks in Construction
This project has been delivered with support from the CITB Growth Fund, which aims to ensure that the construction industry has the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time and is equipped to meet the future skills demands of the industry.

2. Ear and Hearing Hazards
General Estimates of Work-Related Noises
dB (decibels)
Rocket launch 180
Jet engine at take off 140
Pneumatic percussion drill 119
Chain saw 110
Bulldozer, Spray painter 105
Hand drill 98
Belt sander 93
Weakest sound heard by the average ear 0
194 Loudest tone possible
Gauge shotgun
120 Ambulance siren
114 Hammer drill
103 Impact wrench
96 Tractor
90 Hair dryer/power lawn mower
80 Ringing telephone
30 Whisper
The chart shown here gives an idea of some of the noise levels that we work with, for example:
A hammer drill is about 114 decibels
A hand drill around 98 and
A ringing telephone around 80 decibels
The law states that at 80 decibels if you request hearing protection it must be provided and that at 85 decibels it must be worn. Which if you think about it is not very loud
Of course no one is expecting anyone here to be walking around site with a noise monitor, but an easy way to judge is that if it’s so noisy that you need to shout to be heard by another person, who is standing about a metre away from you, then hearing protection is needed
Exposures ≥ 85 may cause hearing loss

3. Ear and Hearing Hazards
When should you worry?
Constant noise from tools and equipment
Sudden loud noises
There are two different types of noise which can cause problems on site:
The first is the constant background noise, such as:
The forklift running around
Generators
Radios playing and so on
Then there are the sudden bursts of loud noises, for example:
Nail guns and
Disk cutters
In general if you remember that, the louder the noise and the longer it lasts the more likely it is that damage will occur

4. Warning signs What are the warning signs?
The sounds of P’s and B’s are first to become difficult to hear
You have to turn the radio down when you get in the car in the morning and turn it up when leaving work
The only way to tell if you have damaged your hearing is to have a hearing test, however there are a number of things which may act as early warning signs that you have a problem including:
Tinnitus which can be a ringing in your ears
Having trouble understanding what people say, especially in crowded rooms
Needing to turn the TV sound up - although others will usually point this out to you!!!
Having to ask people to repeat what they just said to you, and then giving up because its embarrassing
Not being able to hear high-pitched sounds, like a baby crying or a telephone ringing in another room
It may be that some letters disappear, p’s and b’s tend to go first
You may find that someone calls your name and you look one way but find that they are standing the other side of you, as it becomes difficult to work out which direction noises are coming from
You may also may find that you can’t hear what someone is saying unless they are looking directly at you. We all lip read but generally we use the noises that we hear to back things up
Sometimes your hearing reacts to loud noise and results in temporary loss, one way to tell if this is the case, suggesting that where you are working is too loud, is if you have to turn the radio up when you get in the car to go home and down again the next morning when it then seems loud
Gradually hearing loss will get worse and you may be unable to make out what people are saying at all. You may have disturbed sleep and feel under stress

5. Risks
Why worry…?
Once you have damaged your hearing, it cannot be fixed
Even with a hearing aid it won’t be perfect
The problem with noise induced hearing loss is that once you have damaged your hearing, that’s it , you don’t get it back
You may be able to wear a hearing aid but I am sure that it is not a fashion accessory that any of us want to wear

6. Prevention
Try to reduce any noise coming from machinery or equipment by:
Closing covers
Maintain equipment
Move to another job in a quieter area
Wear hearing protection
Use localised noise abatement
So what can you do to prevent noise induced hearing loss?
There are a number of things you can do to reduce the problems including:
Tying to reduce the noise from any machinery. This can be done by:
Using a stack of block or a sheet of ply wood to form a barrier
Some times it is as simple as shutting a door
If you are hiring in machinery, genies etc , try to get ones which have had dampers fitted. Ensure that equipment is well maintained - reducing rattles etc
If it is someone else making the noise, could you go and work elsewhere on site for a while, or take your break earlier?
If you have done everything possible to reduce the noise levels then you need to wear hearing protection
When selecting hearing protection, try different types until you find something which is comfortable to wear. Keep it clean, as ear infections can lead to deafness
If wearing disposable earplugs, remember that they are just that, disposable, throw them away at the end of the day and get a new pair
Remember to wear them at all times in noisy environments, for example when using power tools. Taking off your hearing protection – even for a short period of time – can contribute to hearing problems

7. ANY QUESTIONS? www.cbhscheme.com
If you have any questions speak to your Manager, you can also phone CBH on for impartial confidential advice
If you have any symptoms or worries about your hearing make an appointment to see your GP
Thank you for listening