Workplace Noise Surveys
Professional workplace noise surveys for UK employers — assessing employee noise exposure, identifying high-risk activities and supporting compliance with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Independent measurements, defensible data and practical control recommendations for industrial, manufacturing and commercial workplaces.
80 dB(A)
Lower action value
85 dB(A)
Upper action value
87 dB(A)
Exposure limit
LEX,8h personal exposure
Measured against CNWR 2005 action values
What it is
What is a workplace noise survey?
A workplace noise survey is a structured measurement and risk assessment of the noise that employees are exposed to during their working day. It quantifies sound pressure levels at representative work positions, captures personal noise exposure over a shift where appropriate, and compares results against the action and exposure limit values defined in the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
Employers commission workplace noise surveys to establish reliable exposure data, identify which workers are at risk of noise-induced hearing damage, demonstrate compliance to regulators and insurers, and target noise-control investment where it will have the greatest effect.
A workplace noise survey is distinct from environmental or neighbour-noise monitoring. The objective is not to characterise community noise impact or nuisance, but to evaluate the occupational noise that employees experience while doing their work — and to translate those measurements into practical controls and a defensible hearing-conservation strategy.
When you need one
When a workplace noise survey is required
Most UK employers in noisy work environments need to undertake — and keep current — a documented noise risk assessment. Common triggers include:
- Noisy machinery, production lines or impact processes are in routine use
- Employees need to raise their voices to be understood at around 2 metres apart
- Hearing protection is already being worn but exposure has never been measured
- Machinery, layouts or production processes have recently changed
- There is uncertainty about employees' daily or weekly noise exposure
- An HSE inspection, audit or insurer query has raised noise as a concern
- Workers have reported tinnitus, muffled hearing or audiometry shifts
- A previous noise assessment is more than two years old or no longer reflects the work
Survey scope
What the survey includes
Each survey is scoped to the workplace, but typically covers the following stages. Personal noise dosimetry is used where appropriate — it is not automatically applied to every survey or every worker.
Initial consultation
Review of work areas, processes, machinery, shift patterns and any prior assessments.
Workplace walkthrough
Structured walkthrough with the site contact to identify significant noise sources and access constraints.
Sound level measurements
A-weighted LAeq measurements at representative work positions using calibrated Class 1 or Class 2 integrating sound level meters.
Task and area measurements
Task-based readings for short, variable or impulsive operations alongside steady-state area measurements.
Personal noise dosimetry
Body-worn dosimeters across similar exposure groups where shift-length personal exposure data is appropriate.
Peak sound pressure
LCpeak measurements where impact tools, presses, drop forging or compressed-air discharges are present.
Daily / weekly exposure
Calculation of LEX,8h (or LEX,40h for variable working weeks) against the lower and upper exposure action values.
Hearing protection review
Suitability assessment of current hearing protectors against measured spectra and tasks.
Risk groups identified
Workers and similar exposure groups grouped by likely daily exposure band.
Practical recommendations
Prioritised controls based on the noise-control hierarchy, not hearing protection alone.
Formal technical report
Documented findings suitable for internal compliance records, management review and HSE evidence.
Legal framework
Noise action values and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set out three key thresholds for employee noise exposure in Great Britain. Each is expressed both as a daily (or weekly) personal exposure averaged over an eight-hour reference period and as a peak sound pressure. Workplace noise risk depends on both the level of noise and the duration of exposure — a single short reading rarely tells the whole story. For a structured overview of employer duties under the Regulations, see our Noise at Work Regulations guidance.
Lower exposure action value
80 dB(A)
Peak 135 dB(C)
Triggers duties around information, instruction and training, and hearing protection on request.
Upper exposure action value
85 dB(A)
Peak 137 dB(C)
Triggers mandatory noise-control measures, hearing protection zones, mandatory use of hearing protection and health surveillance.
Exposure limit value
87 dB(A)
Peak 140 dB(C)
Must not be exceeded, taking the attenuation of hearing protection into account.
A workplace noise survey establishes whether daily or weekly personal exposures approach or exceed these values, and identifies the controls needed to reduce risk. We avoid drawing simplified compliance conclusions from individual spot readings — see how workplace noise is measured for an overview of the methods behind a defensible assessment.
Methodology
Equipment and measurement methodology
Calibrated integrating sound level meters
Class 1 or Class 2 integrating-averaging sound level meters with octave-band capability, calibrated before and after measurement with a traceable acoustic calibrator.
Personal noise dosimeters
Shoulder-mounted dosimeters worn by sampled workers across similar exposure groups, capturing real shift-length LEX,8h data alongside an observed activity log.
Task-based observations
Where exposure varies between discrete tasks, task-based sampling under ISO 9612 builds a representative daily exposure from measured tasks and observed durations.
Workplace noise mapping
Where appropriate, area measurements are mapped to identify hearing protection zones, transient high-noise locations and priority areas for engineering controls.
Coverage
Industries and workplaces covered
Workplace noise surveys for occupational hygiene contexts across UK industry — including dedicated factory noise surveys for manufacturing and production environments.
Manufacturing facilities
Factories & production lines
Engineering workshops
Fabrication & metalworking
Woodworking operations
Warehousing & logistics
Construction workplaces
Plant rooms
Recycling facilities
Maintenance operations
Deliverables
What you receive
- Survey findings against the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
- Similar exposure groups and identified at-risk workers
- Measurement results — area, task and personal exposure where applicable
- Interpretation against lower / upper action values and the exposure limit value
- Hearing protection observations and suitability comments
- Prioritised noise-control recommendations using the control hierarchy
- Supporting information for your workplace noise risk assessment
- Practical next steps and review periods
- Technical report suitable for internal compliance records and audit evidence
Reports document findings and recommendations against the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. We do not claim legal certification or guaranteed HSE approval — competent occupational hygiene measurement supports your own compliance position rather than replaces it. Where measurement is the priority — for representative exposure data across tasks, shifts and similar exposure groups — see our dedicated workplace noise monitoring service, or our workplace acoustic surveys where reverberation, sound spread and communication conditions are the concern. For a combined occupational hygiene-led programme, see occupational hygiene noise services.
Control hierarchy
The noise-control hierarchy
Recommendations follow the standard control hierarchy. Hearing protection is part of the strategy — never the default first response where engineering or organisational controls are reasonably practicable.
- 1
Eliminate
Remove the noisy process entirely where reasonably practicable.
- 2
Substitute
Replace with quieter equipment, methods or materials.
- 3
Engineering controls
Damping, silencers, low-noise tooling, vibration isolation.
- 4
Isolation & enclosure
Acoustic enclosures, screens, refuges and segregated work areas.
- 5
Maintenance
Worn bearings, loose guarding and unbalanced rotating plant are common avoidable noise sources.
- 6
Organisational controls
Job rotation, scheduling noisy work outside peak occupancy, restricting access.
- 7
Restricted exposure duration
Limiting time spent at noisy positions to reduce daily LEX,8h.
- 8
Hearing protection
As part of a wider control strategy — never the only measure where engineering controls are reasonably practicable.
Why us
Why choose Workplace Noise Surveys
Occupational hygiene-led approach
Surveys are designed around employee exposure and control of risk, not just spot dB readings.
Practical industrial experience
Comfortable in production environments — factories, workshops, warehouses, plant rooms and construction sites.
Professional measurement equipment
Calibrated integrating sound level meters and personal noise dosimeters, with traceable acoustic calibration.
Compliance-focused reporting
Findings mapped to the action values and exposure limit value, with clear, defensible interpretation.
Clear recommendations
Prioritised, practical noise-control recommendations following the recognised control hierarchy.
Part of the Green Air Monitoring network
Backed by the wider Green Air Monitoring occupational hygiene network — supporting clients across associated workplace exposure disciplines.
FAQ
Workplace noise survey FAQs
How long does a workplace noise survey take?+
Most single-site surveys are completed in one working day, but duration depends on the size of the workplace, the number of distinct work areas, the variety of tasks and whether full-shift personal dosimetry is required. A small workshop may take a few hours; a multi-area manufacturing facility with several shift patterns can span two or more visits.
What is measured during a workplace noise assessment?+
We measure A-weighted sound pressure levels (LAeq) at representative work positions, peak C-weighted sound pressure (LCpeak) where impulsive noise is present, and — where appropriate — personal noise exposure (LEX,8h) via body-worn dosimeters. Measurements are taken alongside observations of tasks, machinery, control settings and shift patterns so the data reflects realistic exposure.
Do all workers need to wear a noise dosimeter?+
No. Personal noise dosimetry is used for representative workers within similar exposure groups, not the entire workforce. The ISO 9612 approach groups employees by job role, tasks and time spent in noisy areas, and dosimeters are deployed across a sample sufficient to characterise that group's daily exposure.
How often should a workplace noise survey be reviewed?+
HSE guidance recommends reviewing your noise risk assessment at least every two years, or sooner if there is a significant change — new machinery, revised processes, layout changes, increased production rates, or new evidence such as audiometry results or worker complaints. Surveys without any change should still be re-validated periodically to remain defensible.
What are the lower and upper noise action values?+
Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, the lower exposure action value is a daily or weekly personal exposure of 80 dB(A) (with a peak of 135 dB(C)); the upper exposure action value is 85 dB(A) (peak 137 dB(C)); the exposure limit value is 87 dB(A) (peak 140 dB(C)), taking hearing protection attenuation into account. Each threshold triggers specific employer duties around information, instruction, hearing protection and noise control.
Will the survey recommend hearing protection?+
Where exposures exceed action values, hearing protection will be considered as part of the wider noise-control strategy — never as the only control. We assess suitability of current hearing protectors (SNR / HML / octave-band data) against measured exposure spectra and identify whether they over- or under-protect for the work being done.
Can the survey cover different shifts or work patterns?+
Yes. Where exposure differs materially between day, evening, night or weekend shifts — for example because different machines run, batch sizes change or staffing levels vary — the survey can include additional measurement visits or dosimetry across the relevant shifts. We discuss shift coverage during the initial consultation.
What information is needed before the survey?+
A site contact, a brief description of the work areas and main noise sources, typical shift patterns, an approximate headcount per area, copies of any previous noise assessments, and details of existing hearing protection in use. Access arrangements, PPE requirements and any production-schedule constraints are confirmed in advance.
Arrange a Workplace Noise Survey
Speak to a UK workplace noise specialist to scope your survey, confirm site coverage and arrange measurement dates. We respond to most enquiries the same working day.