Workplace Noise Risk Assessment
CNWR 2005
Suitable & sufficient
LEX,8h + LCpeak
Per worker / SEG
Risk register
Documented & actionable
Documented risk assessment
Independent · competent
What it is
A documented risk assessment, delivered for you
A workplace noise risk assessment is not optional. CNWR 2005 requires every employer with workers likely to be exposed at or above the lower action value to hold a suitable and sufficient noise risk assessment, and to keep it under review.
This is the commercial service that produces that assessment for you. For background on what a noise risk assessment is and what regulations require, see our Workplace Noise Risk Assessment Guide.
Scope
What the assessment covers
- Workforce mapping into similar exposure groups
- Area, task and personal noise measurement
- LEX,8h and weekly exposure calculation
- Peak (LCpeak) assessment
- Comparison with action and limit values
- Existing control hierarchy review
- Hearing protection adequacy review
- Hearing protection zone identification
- Risk register and prioritised actions
Hazards
Hazards typically identified
- Continuous high background noise
- High-energy peak / impact events
- Compressed-air discharge
- Unguarded noisy machinery
- Inadequate hearing protection
- Inconsistent PPE behaviour
- Unmarked hearing protection zones
- Excessive task duration
- Reverberant work areas
Process
How the assessment is delivered
- 1
Walk-through
Site walk-through with the responsible person to map tasks, machinery, shifts and existing controls.
- 2
Measurement plan
A representative measurement plan defined around the workforce, machinery and shift pattern.
- 3
On-site work
Calibrated Class 1 sound-level measurement and personal dosimetry across representative shifts.
- 4
Calculation
LEX,8h, weekly exposure and LCpeak per worker or SEG, with documented assumptions.
- 5
Risk evaluation
Hazards identified, controls evaluated against the hierarchy, residual risk recorded.
- 6
Report and register
Documented assessment, risk register and prioritised action plan.
Controls reviewed
Control hierarchy reviewed
Hearing protection is a control of last resort — wider control opportunities are detailed on noise control measures.
- Elimination and substitution
- Quieter purchasing
- Engineering controls
- Acoustic enclosure and screening
- Vibration isolation and damping
- Operator positioning
- Task duration and rotation
- Hearing protection programme
- Information, training and supervision
Workforce
Workforce groups covered
- Operators and process staff
- Maintenance and setters
- Drivers and pickers
- Cleaners and contractors
- Supervisors and team leaders
- Visitors entering noisy areas
Documentation
What you receive
- Risk assessment report
- Measurement and calibration records
- Exposure tables per SEG
- Hearing protection adequacy review
- Risk register with severity / priority
- Hearing protection zone map
- Action plan with owners and dates
- Recommended review schedule
Triggers
When to commission a new assessment
- First-time CNWR 2005 compliance
- Existing assessment over two years old
- After installation of new machinery
- After process or layout change
- After shift-pattern change
- After complaint, near-miss or audiometry flag
- Following an HSE inspection or notice
Action values
Action values applied
Exposure is compared against the action and limit values under CNWR 2005 — see the dedicated noise action values service for the regulatory thresholds applied here.
FAQ
Workplace noise risk assessment — frequently asked questions
What is a workplace noise risk assessment?+
A workplace noise risk assessment is the documented evaluation an employer is required to have under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 — establishing who is exposed to noise, at what level, what the harm is, what controls exist and what improvements are reasonably practicable.
How is this different from your risk-assessment guide?+
The guide article is educational — explaining what a noise risk assessment is, what regulations require and how to approach one. This page is the commercial service: we carry out the assessment for you, with measurement, calculation, control review and documentation.
Is a noise risk assessment legally required?+
Yes. Under CNWR 2005, where workers are likely to be exposed at or above the lower action value, or where there is reason to believe that noise may harm health, a suitable and sufficient noise risk assessment is a legal requirement.
Who carries out the assessment?+
The assessment must be carried out by a competent person. Where in-house expertise is limited or where independent evidence is needed (for example after an HSE notice or complaint), an external occupational noise specialist is the standard approach.
What does the service include?+
Walk-through and scoping, measurement and personal dosimetry where appropriate, LEX,8h and LCpeak calculation per worker or similar exposure group, control hierarchy evaluation, hearing protection adequacy, documented risk register and prioritised action plan.
How long does an assessment take?+
A small workplace can usually be assessed in a single visit. Larger or multi-shift sites typically need two to four days on site plus office calculation and reporting time. We confirm scope and effort at quotation.
How often should the assessment be reviewed?+
Review at least every two years, and sooner whenever there is a material change — new machinery, changed processes, layout changes, shift changes or installed controls — or after any reported hearing concern.