Managing Noise at Work in New Zealand: Duties and Controls

Workplace noise can damage hearing gradually or through a very loud event. A worker may finish a shift without obvious symptoms and still have been exposed to harmful sound. Managing the risk means identifying noisy tasks, understanding actual exposure, reducing noise at its source where reasonably practicable, protecting people from what remains and checking whether the controls work. Earplugs alone are rarely the whole answer.

New Zealand has a specific noise provision in the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995. Regulations 10 and 11 remain in force alongside the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. They should not be mistaken for a fully repealed 1990s framework. This guide uses the current regulation and WorkSafe New Zealand's noise guidance, then separates legal wording from practical advice. An occupational noise assessment for a particular site needs appropriate measurement and competent interpretation.

What does New Zealand regulation 11 say?

Under the current regulation 11, an employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that no employee is exposed to noise above an eight-hour equivalent continuous A-weighted level of 85 dB(A) or a peak noise level of 140 dB, whether or not the employee wears a personal hearing protection device. Regulation 10 extends how “employer” and “employee” are understood for this noise rule, including people who control workplaces and certain principals and contractors. Check the exact provision when responsibilities overlap at a shared site.

These numbers are not a simple phone-app reading or a universal “safe below, unsafe above” switch. The eight-hour figure reflects exposure over time, and the peak figure addresses a different kind of sound event. Work patterns, measurement method and multiple noise sources affect the assessment. The regulation's “so far as is reasonably practicable” wording is important. Some older guidance quotes an earlier formulation; use the current legislation for the legal proposition.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 also imposes primary and risk-management duties. Preventing exposure is preferable to compensating for it with equipment worn by workers. WorkSafe's law page emphasises the hierarchy of controls and says hearing protection is a lower-level measure.

Find noisy work before measuring it

Walk through the workplace when work is happening. Identify machines, tools, vehicles, compressed air, impacts, music and other sources. Ask workers whether they struggle to hear normal conversation, experience ringing in their ears or need to raise their voice during certain tasks. These observations indicate that exposure may need a closer look, but they do not establish a legal level by themselves. Note which tasks produce noise, who is nearby and how long each person spends in the area.

Look beyond a standard shift. Maintenance, cleaning, setup and an unusual production run may create different exposure from ordinary operation. Contractors can introduce noisy equipment or be exposed to noise made by the host business. People moving between areas can accumulate exposure. A visitor who spends only a short time in a zone may still face a high peak. Consider others affected by the work, not only the operator of the machine.

Record the sources and the people affected in a way that leads to action. “Workshop noisy” is too vague. “Impact wrench used for repeated fastening beside packing staff for two hours” helps decide what to measure and where a control might work.

Measure exposure when observation is not enough

Where the risk is uncertain or noise may approach a relevant level, arrange an assessment suited to the tasks and exposure pattern. A competent person can choose suitable equipment and method, assess the eight-hour exposure and peak events, and explain what the readings mean for particular workers. A phone application or one spot reading can be useful as an initial signal, but it should not be treated as a definitive occupational exposure assessment.

Measure under representative conditions and reconsider after a significant change. A new tool, increased production speed or different enclosure can alter exposure. Workers may move, and the loudest position may not be where the supervisor stands. Keep enough information about the method, task, duration and controls to interpret the result later. WorkSafe's hearing conservation guidance discusses exposure monitoring and using findings to improve noise management.

Do not use a result just below the regulatory value as a reason to ignore a practical reduction. Risk management still calls for considering what can reasonably be done to prevent harm. Equally, a high reading demands a response based on the actual source and exposure, not only a new sign.

Reduce noise at source and along its path

WorkSafe's source-path-receiver approach starts with eliminating the noise source if possible. Can a noisy operation be avoided, a process changed or quieter equipment purchased? If the source must remain, engineering measures can reduce emission or interrupt the path to workers: enclosure, damping, maintenance, isolation, barriers and distance may be relevant. A control should be selected and assessed for the particular equipment and workspace.

Administrative measures can reduce exposure time or the number of people nearby, but they depend on consistent work patterns. A schedule that looks protective on paper may fail when overtime or maintenance extends the task. Tell workers where the noise hazard is, what the control is meant to do and what to report if it stops working. Check a control during normal production, not only while equipment is idle.

For example, a shop replaces an aging compressor with a quieter model and maintains the air system to prevent leaks. If the replacement is not possible immediately, it may install a suitable enclosure and keep workers away from the source where work allows. The business then measures exposure under operating conditions. The exact combination must suit the site; this example does not establish compliance for any particular compressor.

Use hearing protection for residual risk

Hearing protection may be needed when stronger controls do not adequately manage the remaining exposure. WorkSafe's guidance discusses matching the protection to the noise and training workers in correct use. Earmuffs and earplugs have different fit, maintenance and compatibility considerations. Protection that is uncomfortable, damaged, poorly fitted or removed to communicate may offer much less protection than expected.

Select protection using the exposure assessment and competent advice, not a job title or the highest class on a shelf. Excessive attenuation can interfere with communication and awareness of warning signals. Workers need to know when protection is required, how to fit it, how to store and replace it, and what to do if it is unavailable. Supervisors should check whether the equipment is actually usable with helmets, eye protection or other gear.

Crucially, regulation 11's exposure levels apply whether or not hearing protection is worn. A box of plugs cannot be used to declare that uncontrolled ambient noise is automatically acceptable. The WorkSafe law page says protection is the least effective control and should follow reasonably practicable efforts to eliminate or minimise the source.

Consider hearing health and worker feedback

Workers may notice hearing difficulty, tinnitus or communication problems before a report reaches management. Encourage early reporting and reassess exposure and controls when concerns arise. Hearing tests can help detect change and inform a hearing conservation programme, but this article does not impose a universal annual audiometry requirement on every workplace. WorkSafe's hearing conservation resources advise involving a competent health practitioner where testing is appropriate. Medical interpretation belongs to the practitioner.

Consult workers about which tasks are loud, when controls fail and whether protection can be worn properly. Explain assessment findings in a form they can use. If a control changes the way work is done, train the people affected. Hearing damage can be permanent, so review should not wait for a clear medical problem.

Review the plan when conditions change

Keep a simple record of noisy tasks, assessment results, chosen controls, responsibility, training and review. Check maintenance records for noisy defects. Reassess after new plant, changed production, layout alterations, a complaint, an incident or evidence that hearing protection is not working. Confirm whether engineering controls continue to perform and whether exposure has reduced. A completed action without follow-up measurement or observation may not demonstrate an effective control.

Where several PCBUs work together, coordinate changes. A contractor using a saw in a shared area may expose workers from another business. Agree who can control the source, who communicates the temporary hazard and how the area is managed. The risk should not disappear from each party's record because the source belongs to someone else.

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