Company Fail To Act On Warning

All companies need to ensure they are paying enough attention to the amount of noise their employees are exposed to, a leading industrial deafness expert has claimed.

Mark Allen of Irwin Mitchell reacted after the Health and Safety Executive confirmed that Burnley manufacturing firm Equestrian Surfaces has been fined £16,000 for failing to act on a warning about noise levels at its factory.

The company was given two extensions on an improvement notice calling for measures to be put in place to reduce the amount of time staff had to spend working near a granulator machine, which can reach volumes of up to 98 decibels.

While a HSE visit recognised that changes had been made, it also highlighted that more should have been done to protect workers.

Commenting on the case, workplace injury lawyer Mark Allen said: “This case is yet another example of a company failing to fully acknowledge the dangerous impact that noise exposure can have on employees.

“Lessons need to be learnt from this particular scenario and I hope the fine highlights just how seriously this issue should be taken.

“Firms must ensure that workers are able to carry out their duties in a safe environment, while measures must be taken to reduce noise at source with the correct protective equipment on hand if that is not possible.”