Hygiene Risks
3. Physical Pollutants
3.1. Noise
3.1.2. Personal Protection Equipment
Hearing protectors that are appropriate for the type of existing noise must always be used: helmets, earmuffs, disposable or reusable earplugs, etc.
When choosing hearing protectors, it should be borne in mind that the attenuation of noise achieved by a hearing protector is different for each frequency. Accordingly, the spectrum of noise frequencies against which we wish to protect the worker must be known.
Hearing protectors have to be suitably certified (CE).
The worker must be consulted when choosing the most appropriate hearing protectors.
Personal protectors have to be kept in a proper state of conservation and have to be for individual use only.
3.2. Exposure to mechanical vibrations
Spanish Royal Decree 1311/2005, of the 4th November, regarding the protection of the health and safety of workers against the hazards derived from or which may derive from exposure to mechanical vibrations, divides these into two types:
- Vibration transmitted to the hand/arm system
- Vibration transmitted to the entire body
- For vibration transmitted to the hand/arm system:
- The limit value of standardised exposure for a reference period of eight hours is established at 5 m/s2.
- The standardised daily exposure value for a period of reference of eight hours that gives rise to action being taken is established at 2,5 m/s2.
- For vibration transmitted to the entire body:
- The limit value of standardised daily exposure for a reference period of eight hours is established at 1,15 m/s2.
- The standardised daily exposure value for a period of reference of eight hours that gives rise to action being taken is established at 0,5 m/s2.
3.2.1. Determination and assessment of risks
The employer is to carry out an assessment and, if necessary, measurement of the levels of mechanical vibrations that workers are exposed to.
To assess the level of exposure to mechanical vibration, observation of specific work methods may be employed, subsequently remitting the appropriate information regarding the probable magnitude of the vibration of the equipment or of the type of equipment employed in specific conditions of use, including the information supplied by the manufacturer .
The employer, when assessing risks, is to pay special attention to the following aspects:
- The level, type and duration of the exposure to vibrations.
- The limit values of exposure and the exposure values that give rise to action being taken.
- All the effects that are related to the health and safety of workers, especially sensitive workers exposed to the hazard.
- The information facilitated by the manufacturers of work equipment regarding the stipulations of the regulations on safety in the marketing of such equipment.
- The existence of substitute equipment conceived to reduce the levels of exposure to mechanical vibrations.
- The appropriate information resulting from the health surveillance of workers including any published technical-scientific information, insofar as this is possible.
