Noise at Work (Hansard, 15 April 1999)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)
My Lords, there is substantial legislation in place requiring employers and others to take action to reduce the risk to hearing from noise at work. The Health and Safety Executive and other enforcing authorities are continually working to increase awareness of the risks to health from noise, to ensure compliance with the legislation, to offer practical advice and guidance on ways to reduce noise levels and to control exposure to noise at work.

§ Lord Ashley of Stoke
My Lords, I declare an unpaid interest as president of the RNID. Is my noble friend aware that although I welcome the constructive nature of his Answer, the evidence points to the fact that the Health and Safety Executive is failing because many employers are unaware of their obligations under the Act and do not comply with the regulations and because many workers are unaware of the dangers to their hearing from noise at work? Does my noble friend on behalf of the Government agree that the next step is for the Government to monitor more closely the work of the Health and Safety Executive and to do what they can to help it to achieve a really significant change to prevent thousands of British workers suffering hearing loss?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, there are still areas of British industry, particularly the newer ones, which are not fully aware of the regulations and which are not fully enforcing them. Nevertheless, the Health and Safety Executive has made substantial efforts to provide information to employers and others. Its leaflets on reducing noise at work and Sound Solutions have received very widespread circulation. Bearing in mind my noble friend's declared interest, I am aware of the report by the TUC and the RNID pointing to some of the problems in getting across the message, which I and my colleague Michael Meacher very much welcome. As to giving greater emphasis to the 837 Health and Safety Executive, we are doing better than monitoring; we are very substantially increasing the resources that are available to the HSE.

§ Lord Janner of Braunstone
My Lords, perhaps I may be permitted to express my deep admiration for the courage and persistence of my noble friend Lord Ashley in this matter. Can the Minister inform the House whether the Health and Safety Executive is focusing more on this issue? How many prosecutions have taken place? What have been the results, and what precise steps is the executive taking to enforce the many regulations to which he has rightly referred? Is it correct that the risk from noise is growing all the time and that my noble friend is right to express very deep concern about the way this matter is being handled?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, my noble friend is correct. A substantial number of people are exposed to potential noise problems. The HSE estimates that at least 1.3 million people are exposed to noise levels that may result in damage to hearing and that about 170,000 people say that they are suffering from noise at work. I am not in a position to give information on the precise number of prosecutions, but I can say that a very substantial proportion of the additional resources to be allocated to the Health and Safety Executive as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review will be directed at inspection and the enforcement of the regulations to which my noble friend refers.

§ Lord Marlesford
My Lords, does the Minister recognise that at present there is inadequate legislation with regard to aircraft noise? Will the Government consider whether on this small and crowded island the time has come to restrict the use of helicopters to the military and emergency services?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, there are substantial regulations relating to helicopters in highly residential areas. I do not believe that it would be appropriate to restrict their use entirely to military and emergency purposes. They can play a very useful role in commercial activities. However, I accept that there are some concerns about both the noise and nuisance value which need to be addressed.

§ Lord Annan
My Lords, how often is the flight path over central London to Heathrow changed?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I shall write to the noble Lord on that matter. If the noble Lord is referring to the general flight path, there are a limited number of routes. Helicopters are an entirely different matter.

§ Baroness Fookes
My Lords, can the Minister refer to the danger from noise to the hearing of those at play? I refer to the noise from discotheques, which the young seem to enjoy, and which very often is at a dangerous level?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, the noble Baroness is correct. The Health and Safety Executive has issued guidance on 838 the level of noise and, in the context of its responsibility for workers in discotheques and other places, attempts to enforce those standards. There is a problem and it is being addressed.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that there is a perception that work is usually carried out inside buildings and that some people may have the misconception that because they are engaged in agriculture and work out of doors noisy machinery will not affect them and they therefore do not need to wear ear defenders? Does the Minister agree that an enormous amount of social isolation is incurred as a result of deafness and that many young men who operate machines such as chainsaws are in danger of impairing their hearing? What is being done to inform them of the dangers?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I agree with the noble Countess that there are dangers in working in the open air with certain machinery and that the same awareness of the risks does not appear to be present. Information is provided by employers in the agricultural and construction industries on the same basis as in other work situations. By and large, the same regulations apply, but I accept that there is a greater difficulty with enforcement in those areas.

The Earl of Carlisle
My Lords, can the Minister inform the House what discussions the Health and Safety Executive has had with the Ministry of Defence about the hearing of servicemen which is often degraded by high decibel levels of noise emitted by both equipment and weapons systems?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I had better write to the noble Earl with reference to current servicemen. I am not aware of specific discussions. However, I know that the Ministry of Defence is concerned about the matter. As regards service pensioners, noble Lords may be aware that my noble friend Lady Hollis has conducted two independent inquiries since the advent of this Government. Those experts concur with the previous position: that the hearing loss incurred during service life is not worse for elderly people than it would otherwise have been. My noble colleagues are keeping the matter under review.

§ Lord Swinfen
My Lords, what safeguards are in place to protect those in properties adjoining the premises in which the noise is generated from damage to their hearing rather than the hearing of those working in the building itself?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, both the environmental health Acts and the law of nuisance would apply in such circumstances. It would not, however, be the direct responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive.

Earl Attlee
My Lords, what progress is being made with regard to the noise emissions from heavy commercial vehicles?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, the manufacturers of new heavy commercial vehicles are engaged in improving 839 standards relating to the creation of noise. As regards roadside noise, the noble Earl will know that there is a substantial programme by the Vehicle Inspectorate to check the noise levels of all HGVs. Spot checks are carried out.