§ Lord Hanningfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What advice they are issuing to help combat the increasing rise of acoustic syndrome in the workplace. [HL738]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)I am not aware of any rise in ill-health effects caused by acoustic shock (a sudden increase in noise in telecommunication systems) in the workplace. Since 1991 any risk of hearing damage has been limited by the design of headsets and, although sudden noises may startle the operator, they are unlikely to be harmful.