A Practical Guide to Construction Noise Monitoring
Monitoring any noise pollution that arises as a result of construction comprises an essential part of your site’s environmental management plan.
Any noise that arises as a result of your work holds potentially significant repercussions for anyone living or working in the surrounding area, which means that the impact on residential and commercial properties must be taken into consideration with the help of an acoustic consultant throughout the duration of the project.
Whether you are operating within a residential area, or in close proximity to commercial sites, complaints over noise at work can – and do – arise, and may lead to significant disruptions as local authorities impose restrictions in order to alleviate any harm caused by the construction work.
Working with an acoustic consultant to continually monitor noise at work throughout the course of the project will ensure a strong level of compliance, which is vital to ensuring a reliable form of protection both for the area itself, and for you. It ensures that your entire on-site team, and any contractors, are all working toward the common goal of noise pollution control for workplace noise – one that ensures work can continue on without interruption, and without any undesirable consequences.
What is Noise Pollution, and Why is it a Problem?
Current regulations surrounding the issue of noise at work have been in place since the introduction of the Control of Pollution Act in 1974, which stipulates that the local authority retains the right to impose certain constraints on construction sites before work begins, or when it is ongoing.
This is designed to protect local properties from any distress as a result of a wide range of possible noises from traffic, equipment, or demolition practices, and to ensure that any complaints from locals are able to be quickly tempered.
For any construction site which exceeds the permitted noise levels, a complaint can cause significant disruption, and render you vulnerable to complains, fines, and significant downtime. In a worst case scenario, it may cause work to stop indefinitely, which is why taking a proactive approach towards monitoring and controlling noise levels plays such a critical role on any construction site.
What is a Dangerous Level of Noise?
So, how loud is too loud? On any construction site, a certain level of noise is unavoidable. From heavy machinery to significant traffic, maintaining the peace of the area is impossible, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) maintains that noise poses a risk to the health of those living and working in the area. It can:
- Interrupt sleep patterns
- Risk cardiovascular problems
- Interrupt work, schooling, and leisure activities
- Cause a number of psychological effects, such as “annoyance responses” and behavioural changes.
There is no singular definition of a ‘dangerous level’ of noise for any construction site. Following a noise survey prior to any work taking place, a limit may be imposed by local authorities as a condition of your planning permission; this is likely to stipulate a limit to the noise level permitted from your site, and the hours in which any work or noise is permissible. For this, the BS4142 will offer the most effective methodology for noise testing, and can be provided by your acoustic consultant.
Exceeding your limit can prove extremely costly, both in terms of time and money. Complaints will entail noise measurement from the local council, who may impose further restrictions to ensure that your site is following the best possible practices for noise control, which is why proper noise risk assessment remains so vital.
When proper noise control measures are not taken – and, as a result, a complain is received by the council from residents or workers in the area surrounding your site – then this will be investigated as a ‘Statutory Nuisance’ under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and will mean that the council issues further stipulations for noise control. Failing to do so can lead to unlimited fines for each separate offence – a potentially devastating prospect for any site.
How do I Monitor Noise Levels on Site?
Accurate noise measurement requires specialised equipment to be installed at specific areas around your site, which means that you will need to work with an experienced acoustic consultant. They will be able to ensure that your readings are fully indicative of all noise being produced on site, and that you will be immediately notified when the risk of exceeding your limit arises.
On meeting with your acoustic consultant, they will be able to install all necessary equipment – fully calibrated to ensure the highest level of accuracy – and work with your on-site team to ensure
Once installed, this equipment will provide you with a live reading of all noise levels, and will also ensure that you are immediately notified if the site is at risk of breaching the conditions of your Section 60 order, so that you may address the cause before it makes you liable for complaints.
Ongoing monitoring and noise control will also prove highly beneficial if your site does receive a complaint. In keeping an accurate, round the clock record of your site’s noise production, you can offer proof that you did not exceed the limitations stipulated in your planning permission.
Does My Site Need to be Monitored for Noise?
Any site will subject nearby residents to at least some additional noise, even if no machinery is being used at that moment. Of course, the likelihood of complaints is impossible to predict with total accuracy – some will tolerate a high level of noise without objecting, while others may react strongly to even a low level of noise.
Noise monitoring – and an ongoing noise risk assessment that will alert you to the danger of exceeding your limit – however, not only ensures that you remain fully cognisant of the level of noise being produced by your work – something which is impossible to do when you are working, and when you do not have the right equipment – but it will also ensure that you are protected against complaints by round-the-clock data demonstrating your efforts to keep noise control methods in place.
Disruption from complaints is incredibly frustrating, and monitoring your noise at work offers a yardstick to ensure noise control, and proper safeguarding against enforcement procedures from the local council. Get in touch with our team today to find out more about how our acoustic engineers can work with you to ensure full compliance.
