Occupational noise is any sound in a workplace, wanted or unwanted, that can damage hearing – with common hazards including heavy machinery, power tools, assembly lines, industrial vehicles and loud-impact sounds such as hammering and cutting.
Noise-induced hearing loss or deafness make up 85 per cent of all occupational disease claims, with more than half of the 2,323 injuries in the past year occurring in the manufacturing, construction and transport, postal and warehousing industries.
To amplify awareness, WorkSafe is offering free online Noise Basics workshops providing employers access to practical tools, resources and advice to identify hazardous noise and prevent harm.
WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said employers in noisy workplaces had an obligation to test and protect their workers.
“Ongoing exposure to excess noise or sudden loud sounds in the workplace can have serious health implications – including permanent hearing loss that can be life-changing,” Mr Jenkin said.
“How much hearing loss a person can suffer depends on the noise level, how long they are exposed to that noise, and their susceptibility.”
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations set two key noise exposure standards in decibels (dB) for Victorian workplaces – the equivalent of 85 dB(A) over an eight-hour period and a maximum peak noise level of 140 dB(C) – both of which must not be exceeded.
Employers must also provide audiometric testing in workplaces where employees are required to wear hearing protection because noise has been identified as a hazard above the exposure standards.
Victorian Congress of Employer Associations Lead OHS Policy Advisor Jack Carmody said employers needed to be proactive when considering the impact of noise in their workplace.
“Important considerations for noisy workplaces may include conducting pre-employment hearing assessments to establish a baseline hearing level for all workers – which can be used to inform future audiometric testing, monitor any changes in hearing over time, and support the management of any risks to both workers and the business,” Mr Carmody said.
“This is particularly important in high-risk industries where noise has been identified as a potential hazard.”
The potential for noise to be hazardous is not always obvious – which is why WorkSafe provides online resources such as the noise hazard identification tool, noise risk assessment and control tool, noise survey and a compliance code.
Mr Jenkin said the new Noise Basics workshops gave employers the opportunity to learn more about noise, their obligations and how to help workers prevent hearing loss.
“These workshops are easy to access and run by independent experts who can help you determine whether noise is a problem in your workplace and what to do about it,” he said.
“By attending, you can feel confident you’re proactively identifying risks and preventing noise related workplace injuries while supporting workers with a safe work environment.”
Employers, managers and supervisors with OHS responsibilities in small-to-medium-sized businesses can register for the workshops now, with dates available until September 2026.
To manage risks from workplace noise, Victorian employers should:
- Ensure employees are not exposed to noise that exceeds the noise exposure standard.
- Arrange for a noise assessment if employees are exposed to excessive noise (eg workers have to raise their voices to communicate over a distance of one metre) and there is uncertainty as to whether employees exposure may have exceeded the noise exposure standard.
- Eliminate or minimise the source of noise. Use noise insulated equipment (eg silence compressors), enclose or isolate noisy machinery, reduce vibration, use barriers to absorb and screens to block the direct path of sound, use silencers on air exhausts, exhaust pneumatics out of the area, buy the quietest tools/machinery available.
- Place warning signs in areas of excessive and continual noise (eg where employees exposure is likely to exceed the exposure standard).
- Warn other workers nearby that you will be undertaking noisy work and advise them to move away or wear hearing protection.
- Provide hearing protectors such as earmuffs or earplugs, ensure they are worn at all times, and provide employees with audiometric testing if hearing protectors are required from employers to control an employee’s exposure to noise above the noise exposure standard. Employers should provide a choice of different types of hearing protection appropriate to the noise level in the workplace.
Source: WorkSafe Vic
