Legal Notice 185/2004 will be amended following a period of consultation with stakeholders.

Addressing a conference on noise at work yesterday, the new chairman of the Health and Safety Authority said the level of health and safety in certain places of work was far from that desired by the authority.

Roberta Messina said that in the first six months of 2005, the government paid out over Lm400,000 in benefits to people injured at work, apart from millions of liri paid in sick leave benefits.

The aim of the conference was to examine the implications of noise levels in workplaces and how employees can be protected from unhealthy noise levels.

“The World Health Organisation rates hearing difficulties caused by excessive noise levels at work as the most serious industrial malady, which is also irreversible,” said Ms Messina.

At present, nearly 40 million people across the EU suffer from hearing impairments caused by excessive noise in the workplace.

A consultation process on how noise levels could be reduced was under way, said Ms Messina, and she encouraged stakeholders to take part in it.

OHSA head of technical operations David Saliba gave an overview of the authority’s functions and information on the proposed amendments to the legal notice.

He said the new regulations for the music and entertainment sector come into effect on 5 February 2008 and include the application of certified exposure limit values.

Mr Saliba said the authority would be monitoring risk assessments made by companies for their employees that will cover personal protection, limitation of exposure and health surveillance.

“Employers will measure the levels of noise to which workers are exposed, taking into account aspects such as prevailing conditions, length of exposure and ambient factors,” he said.

Every employer should take measures to eliminate noise at source or minimise the risks arising from exposure to noise, as well as identifying ways of doing so, said Mr Saliba.

“Employers should also provide adequate training and information, instruct workers how to use equipment correctly and provide supervision,” he added.

He said the current regulations did not apply to members of the public exposed to noise from their non-work activities or to low-level noise which was a nuisance but caused no risk of damaging hearing.

Conference keynote speaker Dr Suzanne Schunder-Tatzber gave an overview of the ear’s function as a hearing organ and how it worked in relation to excessive noise levels.

Most hearing problems due to high noise levels can lead to acute trauma, she said. However, these problems could be prevented if ear-muffs or ear-plugs are used, especially in areas where heavy machinery is used.

Dr Schunder-Tatzber said the first noticeable symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss are the inability to hear high-pitched sounds followed by the inability to detect lower pitched sounds. In the latter case, permanent damage will have been caused.

She said the use of machines with lower noise emissions, avoiding metal on metal impact, and dampening and isolating vibrating parts were effective ways of managing and controlling noise in the workplace.

Noise levels can be measured using a noise level metre, said David Sammut, a principal at the OHSA, yesterday.

In a typical busy office working environment, the level of noise – measured in decibels – is around 70 decibels.

Participants at the seminar asked whether the amended legal notice would cover those frequenting entertainment venues. Mr Saliba said that for the time being the legal notice only applied to employees working in such establishments.

By Gerald Fenech
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