What’s an acceptable noise level in a factory?

The level at which employers must provide hearing protection and hearing protection zones is 85 dB(A) (daily or weekly average exposure) and the level at which employers must assess the risk to workers’ health and provide them with information and training is 80 dB(A). There is also an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A), taking account of any reduction in exposure provided by hearing protection, above which workers must not be exposed.

Factory noise reduction solutions

• Acoustic enclosures fan be fitting around a noisy piece of equipment to reduce the noise.
• Rectangular splitter attenuators or circular attenuators can be used to reduce duct born noise.
• Acoustic louvres can be used to maintain airflow requirements in/out of a noisy factory while reducing the level of air born noise. The louvres also prevent water ingress.

Reducing background factory noise.

Absorptive acoustic paneling can be positioned to absorb noise from noisy machinery and help to reduce the reverberant noise.

Factory noise reduction in residential areas

Acoustically enclose any noisy external plant equipment.

Install acoustic louvres and/or duct mounted attenuators at points at which inlet/outlet airflow pass through the building envelope.

Reducing factory noise at night

• Determine if any noisy equipment can be turned off throughout the night.
• Close any roller shutters to prevent noise breakout from the factory.

If your factory needs to reduce its noise levels please get in touch to discuss ways in which we can assist: noise@wakefieldacoustics.co.uk