OBJECTIVE
To provide
guidelines to minimize the risks associated with workplace noise exposure to
employees and to prevent noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). The company is committed to provide
employees with a safe and healthful working environment. This is optimally
accomplished by incorporating feasible safeguards into facilities and equipment
designs. When effective engineering controls are not feasible, or when they are
being initiated, administrative controls and/or personal protective equipment
will be utilized to prevent employee exposure to noise over regulated or
recommended levels.
SCOPE
Applicable to activities carried out within the
company premise.
RESPONSIBILITY
Management
The management shall:
-Ensure that noise control
measures are in place such that no employees are exposed to excessive noise.
-Where
50 or more persons employed are exposed or likely to be exposed to excessive
noise, a competent person (Noise Control Officer) should be
appointed to advise the management on the proper noise control measures.
-Ensure that the individuals
who advise on noise control are suitably qualified, whether in-house personnel
or service provider.
-Allocate appropriate
resources and, as far as it is reasonably practicable, implement the noise
control plan put up by the competent person.
-Ensure that the noise
control plan be reviewed at least once every three years or until such time
when the noise is reduced to an acceptable level and the
noise hazard is eliminated.
-Consider
the noise emission levels during the selection and procurement of new machines
since the selection of quieter machines at the initial stage can bring
about cost savings from the need to introduce noise control measures after
initial installation.
-Appoint a Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) Administrator to take charge of the HCP.
The HCP administrator should be an individual who has keen interest
in the company’s HCP. He / She should possess good communication skills and
spend time at the production floor to interact with employees to discuss the
noise problems and associated prevention or solutions.
HCP Administrator
The HCP administrator should coordinate all aspects
of the program and possess knowledge on:
-individual elements of HCP
-relevant provisions of the Workplace Safety and
Health (WSH) Act, the Workplace Safety and Health (Noise) Regulations, and the WSH (Risk
Management) Regulations,
-effects of noise on hearing, and
-purpose of hearing protectors and audiometric examinations
The EHS Officer / Manager shall be the HCP
Administrator. He / She shall:
-coordinate the HCP,
-monitor its progress,
-assess its performance,
-evaluate its effectiveness,
-review the HCP at regular intervals,
-ensure that the set objectives are met,
-arrange meetings or discussions to promote collaboration of
effort between management and team members, and-foster exchange of information between management and team members on the
progress of the program
Competent person for
noise monitoring:
A
competent person is an individual who is trained to conduct proper noise
monitoring. The person should work with the HCP administrator to ensure that
noise monitoring is conducted properly. The tasks of a competent person
include:
-Identifying work areas with
excessive noise i.e. areas where employees are exposed or likely to be exposed
to noise levels at or above 85 dB(A).
-Identifying individual
noise sources (e.g. equipment, machines, processes, operations and work
activities) which contribute to the excessive noise in the
work areas.
-Monitoring or assessing the
noise exposure levels of individual persons working in the work areas
identified to have excessive noise. Determine whether the
noise exposure levels are excessive, i.e., at or above an equivalent sound pressure level of 85 dB(A) over an
eight-hour period per day.
-Conducting noise monitoring
or measurements at regular intervals (at least once every three years) or
whenever there is any change in equipment, machinery,
processes, operations, controls or other conditions, which may result in excessive noise generation or emission.
Ensuring that
the instruments used for noise monitoring are calibrated at required intervals.
The accuracy of the instruments should be verified with an acoustic calibrator
immediately before and after every measurement.
In addition, the instrument used should be sent to the manufacturer or
its authorized agents for servicing and maintenance at intervals recommended by
the manufacturer.
Ensuring
that noise measurements performed are
representative of employee’s normal daily exposure to noise. To obtain
representative results, the following should be considered:
-ensure
adequate sampling of all work processes,
-ensure
adequate duration of sampling, and
-discuss
with employees to have a better understanding of the work environment and processes monitored to obtain a more representative measurement.
-Ensure
the appropriate selection of parameters, such as weighting network, meter’s
response, exchange rate, criterion levels and threshold levels for accurate
noise measurements. Normally an ‘A’ weighting network is used to measure the average noise levels while a ‘C’
weighting network is used to measure peak and impact / impulse noise.
The
following points should be noted during measurement:
.Measure
at a suitable distance from the noise source. The sound measuring instrument
should be held at arm’s length or using a remote microphone to avoid
reflections from the body.
.Keep
away from reflecting surfaces.
.Ensure
that there are no obstacles between the noise source and the instrument.
.Check
background noise level and make corrections if necessary.
.Use
a wind shield to protect the microphone.
-Prepare
a Noise Monitoring Report as described in the WSH (Noise) Regulations.
-Perform
a noise mapping of work areas with excessive noise, including a contour of 85
dB(A) around the noise source(s) on the noise map.
-Present
and explain the results of noise monitoring in a clear and understandable
format to the management and employees. Ensure that results of the
noise monitoring are communicated to all persons exposed to excessive noise not later than 14 days after preparation of
the report.
-Assist
management in implementing a job rotation schedule for the exposed employees if
engineering noise controls are not practicable.
-Assist
management in implementing a maintenance program for equipment and machinery to
minimise noise generation from friction, wear and tear,
or unbalanced parts of machines.
-Assist management in implementing a HCP which includes regular
noise monitoring, hearing protection and health education of persons exposed to
excessive noise.
Competent person for noise control:
A noise
control officer is an individual who is adequately trained and knowledgeable on
the details of noise control to provide the management with sound advice on the
proper noise control measures. He/ She should work with the HCP administrator
and the employees to ensure that the proposed noise control measures are
implemented. The tasks of a noise control officer include:
-Identifying
all possible noise sources.
-Evaluating
specific machinery or noise source for noise control, and determining the most
practical and effective methods of reducing the noise to meet
the desired criteria.
-Involving
the machine operators or production people on the selection of the noise
control measures which may interfere with their work; communicate
with them on the proper use of the noise control devices to ensure that the controls are kept in good condition.
.Developing
a comprehensive noise control plan with recommendations on engineering noise
controls where practicable. A sample template of the
noise control plan is in Appendix C.
-Working
closely with the management when putting up the noise control plan, especially
in recommending priorities and setting targets for noise control.
-Assisting
the management in implementing the noise control plan and evaluating the
effectiveness of noise control measures.
-Reviewing
and revising the noise control plan at least once every three years or whenever
there is a significant change in the work processes or machinery
