Controlling noise at work

Many people are exposed to noise levels at work that may be harmful, leading to permanent and incurable hearing damage.

Our publication Controlling noise at work is aimed at employers and other dutyholders.

It includes the Control of Noise at Work Regulations alongside guidance on what they mean. This sets out an employer’s legal obligations to control risks to workers’ health and safety from noise.

For more information about controlling noise at work, visit our:

• noise at work webpages, which include our noise exposure calculator
• construction industry noise webpages

 

Awareness of work-related stress

Many people still don’t realise that it’s a legal duty to include work-related stress in risk assessments.

You can help change that by supporting HSE’s Working Minds campaign, which marks its third anniversary this week.

The campaign helps raise awareness that all employers are required by law to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health by doing a risk assessment and acting on it.

You could:

• bring up the topic of work-related stress at a team meeting or talk about it at your next one-to-one with team members
• encourage others to do our free bitesize online learning
• download and share resources such as our one-page summary of support, campaign poster and social media graphics, with your colleagues and networks
• sign up to the monthly campaign ebulletin for updates and new resources
  
  
  

HSE as a market surveillance authority for workplace products

HSE monitors and enforces legal requirements on the safety of most products used in the workplace, including any risks to health.

HSE has a duty to notify the Secretary of State about unsafe or non-compliant products and of the measures taken and communicated by an economic operator. 

Products notified to the HSE Product Safety and Market Surveillance Unit that present a serious or high risk to the health and safety of the user, and products that have been recalled, are published on GOV.UK. 

Recent examples of products notified are:

• Facemoon Face Mask and Filters (sold via Amazon)
• 700HPM High Pressure Calibration Manifold
  
  
  

The Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) updates

CONIAC was established to advise HSE on the protection of people from hazards to health and safety within the building, civil engineering and engineering construction industries.

With a membership made up from HSE, employers, workers and key industry stakeholders (including SMEs), CONIAC delivers practical outcomes and industry resources in support of its purpose and work plan through its working groups.

The CONIAC website has useful resources including:

• A list of current licensed asbestos contractors
• Safe methods: guidance for onsite lifting of loads
  
  

HSE research reports

A selection of recent research reports from HSE includes:

• Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure during demolition activity
  RCS can cause chronic lung diseases like silicosis and lung cancer. This report summarises conclusions on effective exposure controls for work tasks observed during demolition site visits.
  
  
• Decontamination and re-use of FFP3 respirators
  Following the shortage of disposable filtering facepiece respirators of filtration type 3 (FFP3) during the COVID-19 pandemic, this report sought to establish whether disposable respirators that had been worn could be safely and effectively decontaminated and then re-used.

Visit HSE's website for further research reports.

Health and safety training and events

There are a range of virtual and in-person events and training courses organised by, or which involve HSE.

Upcoming courses and events include:

• HSE inspector's guide to risk management
  26 November, London
  
  
• Health and Safety Matters Live: Scotland
  27 November, Edinburgh
  
  
• Creating a safety culture of excellence
  11 to 12 December, live online

Find out more about HSE's training, webinars and events

Recent HSE enforcement activity

Falls from height

• Fine for construction company after worker is left paralysed
• links for further guidance and information: Assessing all work at height

Working at height on farm buildings

• Farm owner fined after roofer dies in fall
• Farmer handed suspended prison sentence after worker dies from fall
• links for further guidance and information: Fragile roofs - safe working practices