HL Deb 20 December 1988 vol 502 cc1245-6

2.36 p.m.

The Earl of Kinnoull asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether noise regulations can be introduced to lessen the disturbance caused by pneumatic drills operated by maintenance contractors.

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, Section 60 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 gives local authorities power to specify the way construction work, including maintenance, must be carried out to minimise noise. A notice may be served either before work commences or after it has begun specifying the type of equipment to be used or not used, the hours of operations and the permitted level of noise.

The Earl of Kinnoull

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply, but does his department consider that pneumatic drills are quieter since the regulations were introduced? Are new drills tested to conform with the decibels allowed, and is there any record of health damage to those who operate the machines?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I believe I am correct in saying that since the introduction of mufflers on pneumatic drills, the noise has been reduced. As regards the nuisance value, the best figure I have is for the number of prosecutions. I am afraid that it refers to prosecutions on construction sites, which does not necessarily specifically refer to prosecutions with regard to pneumatic drills. Last year there were 34 prosecutions, 20 of which were successful, and the average fine was £310.

As regards the health aspect of pneumatic drills, which clearly in most cases refers to hearing, the recommendation is that all operatives should wear ear mufflers where the noise exceeds 90 decibels.

The Countess of Mar

My Lords, does the noble Lord appreciate that as well as causing deafness the drills cause a nasty ailment called white finger, where the fingers go numb? Is anything being done to limit the hours of work for people who operate these drills so that their circulation can recover?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Countess for drawing to my attention the conditon of white finger, of which I was previously unaware. I would refer her to my first Answer, but I point out that local authorities allow certain operations to be carried out at night; for example where there is a burst water main which requires instant attention.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, speaking as one who has worked at Oxford Circus for the past 19 years and whose fingers are still pink and whose ears still work, has the noble Lord considered that the worst aspect of pneumatic drills is not that they exist—I believe that all of us are reasonably stoical about that—but that different public services dig up the same street on successive days in pursuit of comparable objectives? Can some improvement in the noise nuisance not be achieved by better coordination between public services?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I am very grateful for the noble Lord's point. In my lowly position I am hardly able to co-ordinate public services. However, I should also point out that one great difficulty about pneumatic drills is that by their nature they tend to be transient.