60-second check
How loud is your workplace?
Six quick questions. See whether your site likely crosses the noise action values. It’s an indication, not a measurement.
1. What best describes the main source of noise on site?
2. How long does that noise run, over a normal working day?
3. How close do people typically work to it?
4. Is the noise steady, sporadic, impulsive, or both steady and impulsive?
5. What are the walls and floor like, where it runs?
6. Do people wear hearing protection consistently there?
Your indicative level
——.—dB(A)
Answer all six to see your result (0 of 6 so far). No contact details needed.
Free and instant. No contact details needed to see your result.
What the numbers mean - Three numbers decide what has to happen
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set three thresholds. Cross one and specific duties switch on — measured at the ear, over a working day.
- Lower action value — information, training and hearing protection on request become duties. The easiest band to cross without noticing.
- 80 dB(A)
- Upper action value — protection must be provided and worn, zones marked, and a plan made to bring the noise itself down.
- 85 dB(A)
- Exposure limit value — must not be exceeded at the ear. Counts the protection actually worn; health surveillance applies.
- 87 dB(A)
What actually makes the noise - Typical figures for the equipment itself
Published and measured levels for common kit. Your own exposure depends on how long each one runs and who is near it — which is exactly what a measurement works out.
| Equipment | Pattern | Typical level |
|---|---|---|
| Angle grinding, welding & metal fabrication | steady | ~97–106 dB(A) |
| Woodworking saws & planers | steady | ~103 dB(A) |
| Pneumatic & power hand tools | impulsive | ~98 dB(A) |
| Crushers, shredders & balers | impulsive | ~95–105 dB(A) |
| Power presses & impact work | impulsive | ~95 dB(A) + peaks |
| Printing presses & packaging lines | steady | ~90–97 dB(A) |
| Conveyors, extraction & compressors | steady | ~86–90 dB(A) |
| Heavy plant, generators & mobile machinery | mixed | ~95–102 dB(A) |
| Amplified sound, music or crowds | steady | ~94–100 dB(A) |
Impulsive — sudden peaks, judged separately against the peak limit. Steady — continuous, builds the dose by duration. Mixed — some tasks run continuously, others produce sudden peaks, so both need judging. This check estimates your daily average exposure only; impulsive noise is judged separately against its own peak sound pressure limit, which a self-assessment can’t measure.
Want the real figure, not a typical one?
This check uses published typical levels. A floor mapping survey measures your own site and shows you exactly where the noise is, machine by machine.
Included in your plan
Your own Care Plan Portal
On the plan, everything lives in one private place — reports, noise maps, advice notes and certificates, not a folder of emailed PDFs you can never find again.
- years measuring noise at work, carrying out assessments since 2011
- 20+
- assessments across manufacturing, marine, construction and logistics
- 250+
- at one fixed price — no annual re-quote, no surprise uplift
- 4 yrs
Common questions - About the check
- How accurate is the check?. It is an indication, not a measurement. It is built from six answers about the kind of work you do, so it cannot know how long each machine runs or how close people stand to it. It is good enough to tell you whether this is worth a conversation.
- Do I have to give my details to see the result?. No. The result appears straight away. If you want a price you can email or call us, and that is entirely your choice.
- What if we come out under the action values?. Then you have a useful starting point and something worth confirming. Exposure changes when machinery, shift patterns or layouts change — exactly the kind of thing that stops being true without anyone noticing.
- What happens if we ask for a quote?. We ask a few more questions about site size and number of locations, then give you one fixed price for the whole four years, at £895 a year every year — over 25% off our £1,200 standard rate — when you sign up for the Care Plan.