Industrial Noise Control: Noise at Work Regs 2005
On a production floor, noise isn't background, it's machinery running for hours, next to people who have to be there for a full shift. Push past a certain level and it stops being an annoyance and becomes a legal exposure problem, one that shows up in hearing damage claims years down the line if it's never properly addressed.
The legal thresholds that actually govern this
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set three specific dB(A) thresholds: 80 dB(A), where employers must assess risk and provide information and training; 85 dB(A), where hearing protection becomes mandatory and engineering controls must be considered; and 87 dB(A) at the ear, which must never be exceeded under any circumstances. We assess and treat industrial spaces against these legal exposure limits specifically, not a general comfort target, so the resulting treatment is defensible as a genuine duty-of-care measure, not just a quieter-sounding room.
Why engineering controls, not just ear defenders
The regulations are explicit that hearing protection is a last resort, not a first response, employers are expected to consider engineering controls before relying on PPE. Ceiling and wall absorption lowers the overall reflected noise across a working floor, bringing ambient levels down without the cost of enclosing every individual machine, and it improves the environment for the entire workforce on that floor, not just the operators nearest the loudest equipment.
Materials built for a production environment, not a showroom
Standard acoustic panels don't survive an industrial environment. We specify impact- and moisture-resistant products rated for washdown and daily wear, materials that hold up to conditions that would degrade a standard commercial acoustic panel within months, not years.
Treating around the line, not stopping it
In most cases, treatment is fitted around existing plant, machinery and production lines without requiring the process to stop, and where it does need coordination, work can be phased to avoid downtime rather than forcing a full production halt for installation.
Common questions
Can treatment help us meet noise-at-work legal requirements? Yes, we assess your space against the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005's specific dB(A) thresholds and specify treatment to reduce exposure toward compliance.
Will the panels survive a harsh production environment? Yes, we specify impact- and moisture-resistant products built for industrial conditions specifically, not standard commercial acoustic materials.
Do you need to stop production to install? In most cases no, treatment is fitted around existing plant and can be phased to avoid downtime.
Assessing your exposure levels
See our guide to the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, our industrial acoustics page, or book a free survey for a proper exposure assessment, not a walk-through guess.
Related product guides: industrial acoustic panels.
From first survey to final finish
One team handles all seven stages, the same way on every project, so you always know what happens next.
A surveyor visits the site, or works from your drawings and photos when a visit isn't practical. Either way, the room, its surfaces and how it is used are recorded before any advice is given.
Reverberation, ambient noise and noise transfer are read against what the space is used for. The findings arrive as a written report with recommendations, yours to keep with no obligation to proceed.
Treatment is modelled against a reverberation target, then drawn up with panel positions, fixings and finishes. Nothing moves forward until you have approved the design.
Every quotation comes with the specification behind it, listing products by type, quantity and finish with costs set out line by line. What is quoted is what the design calls for.
Panels, baffles, ceilings and screens come from our Acoustic Solutions range and are supplied to the approved specification. What arrives on site matches what was designed.
Our own engineers fit to the approved drawings, checking positions and fixings as they go. One team supplies and installs, so nothing is handed between contractors.
Optional: after fit-out the space can be measured again and compared with the original survey, so the improvement is measured rather than assumed. Results are reported against the relevant standards and the written record goes into your building file.
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