A practical guide to Ireland’s workplace noise requirements, including the 80, 85 and 87 dB(A) exposure values, hearing protection, health surveillance and the duties employers must meet.
The 2007 Regulations set out the legal frameworks for noise, and are supported by detailed guidance from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). These regulations define how noise exposure must be assessed, managed, and controlled across a variety of industries. As is the case with many health and safety measures, our laws related to noise come from the European Union, EU Directive 2003/10/EC, which is helpful for multinational organisations. Understanding these requirements is important for employers, where noise exposure is a constant factor.
The HSA is Ireland’s national body responsible for promoting and enforcing workplace safety and health regulations, including those relating to noise exposure. Its primary role is to provide employers and employees with guidance on risk, exposure management and controls, and to publish codes of practice covering Part 5, Chapter 1 of the General Application Regulations, which deals specifically with the control of noise at work.
In Ireland, workplace noise is governed by Part 5, Chapter 1 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. The UK has separate legislation called the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which does not apply in Ireland.
The HSA also conducts inspections and audits to verify compliance. Where excessive exposure is identified, the HSA may issue improvement or prohibition notices. More than enforcement, the HSA plays an educational role, by promoting awareness of long-term hearing effects and the economic benefits of noise control.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, introduced under Statutory Instrument 371 of 2006, form the basis of noise management in the Irish workplace. These regulations, taken from EU Directive 2003/10/EC and transposed into Irish law, set the exposure action values and exposure limit value that employers must work to, set out in full below.
Workplace noise exposure is measured using standardised metrics that describe both the intensity and duration of sound. The most common measure, LEX,8h, represents the equivalent continuous sound level over an eight-hour workday, capturing daily noise exposure. For employees whose exposure fluctuates across the week, LEX,40h is used to assess weekly averages. Peak sound pressure level (LpC,peak) measures short, high-intensity noises, an impact tool for example, that can cause immediate damage.
For more on how sound level measurements and personal dosimetry are actually carried out, see our guide to workplace noise monitoring.
Ireland's workplace noise regulations define three exposure values, each expressed as a daily personal noise exposure level (LEX,8h) with an equivalent peak sound pressure level (LpC,peak) for short, high-intensity noise. Together, they determine when employers must take protective steps.
At or above this level, employers must carry out a noise risk assessment, provide information and training, and make suitable hearing protection available to any employee who asks for it. Use of hearing protection is not yet mandatory at this stage.
At or above this level, hearing protection must be used, hearing protection zones must be identified and clearly marked, and employers must take action to reduce the source of exposure wherever reasonably practicable. Employees working in these areas must be trained in the correct use of their hearing protection.
This value must never be exceeded, taking into account the attenuation provided by any hearing protection worn. Exceeding it is a breach of the regulations and must trigger immediate action to reduce exposure and understand why the existing controls failed.
Managing workplace noise effectively, requires an integrated programme of risk assessment, control measures, appropriate health surveillance, and training. The Irish regulatory frameworks expect employers to meet specific exposure limits and also to demonstrate a proactive approach. Each step plays an important role in protecting employees and maintaining operational compliance.
A workplace noise risk assessment is the first step of an effective noise management programme. It must be carried out whenever there is a possibility that daily or weekly exposure levels exceed 80 dB(A). Assessments should be reviewed regularly, typically every two years, or whenever new equipment, processes, or layouts are introduced that could affect exposure.
In complex industrial environments, pharmaceutical plants for example, task-based assessments may be more effective than single full-shift surveys, as they allow for detailed analysis of high-noise activities. During shutdowns or commissioning, assessments should prioritise activities that generate temporary or unpredictable noise levels. A competent person, typically an acoustic consultant or occupational hygienist, should oversee this process.
Accurate documentation demonstrates compliance and helps to manage risk over time. Employers should maintain detailed records of all noise assessments, including measurement data, methodologies, identified risks, and recommended controls. Health surveillance results, including audiometric testing, must be retained securely and treated as confidential medical information. Training attendance, hearing protection issue logs and signage placement should also be tracked and kept up to date.
In preparation for HSA inspections or internal audits, companies should maintain an evidence pack containing the most recent risk assessment or noise monitoring report, a list of high-noise areas, hearing protection records, training records and health surveillance summaries.
The most effective way to manage workplace noise is to reduce the noise at source. Engineering controls are the first priority; quieter machinery, low-noise tools, and installing acoustic enclosures or barriers around high-noise processes. In pharmaceutical or manufacturing environments, careful attention to ventilation systems and pump installations can identify significant reductions.
Administrative controls; scheduling noisy work during off-peak times, limiting duration of exposure or rotating staff, further demonstrate compliance. Acoustic modelling and noise mapping are valuable tools at the design stage, allowing engineers to visualise potential issues and test solutions. After installation, performance verification confirms that reductions are effective. Hearing protection should always be viewed as the last line of defence, complementing rather than replacing physical noise control measures.
Suitable hearing protection must be made available above the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A), and must be used at or above the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A). Selecting the right protection depends on the nature of the work; earplugs are convenient and compatible with other PPE, while earmuffs provide higher attenuation and are often preferred for intermittent or very high-noise tasks.
Overprotection can also be an issue; hearing protection that attenuates too much sound can create its own safety risks, masking alarms or verbal instructions, so the attenuation value should be matched to the actual exposure level. All hearing protectors should be CE-marked, stored correctly, and replaced when damaged or worn, and hearing protection zones must be clearly marked with signage.
Where exposure exceeds the lower exposure action value, preventive audiometric testing must be made available. Where exposure exceeds the upper exposure action value, employees must be offered a hearing check carried out under the responsibility of a registered medical practitioner.
The frequency of repeat audiometric testing should reflect the employee’s noise exposure, previous results and occupational health advice. HSA guidance recommends an initial follow-up within a year, with subsequent intervals determined by exposure level and findings.
Employers have the primary responsibility for managing workplace noise, but employees do play a role in maintaining safe noise exposure levels. Compliance depends on daily actions; wearing hearing protection correctly, following procedures and communicating issues with management. Active participation from staff strengthens the effectiveness of the entire noise management system.
Irish law sets three key noise exposure values under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007: a lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A), an upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A), and an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A). Each threshold triggers different employer duties.
Suitable hearing protection must be made available once exposure reaches the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A). Once exposure reaches the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A), hearing protection must be used.
At the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A), employers must assess the risk, provide information and training, and make suitable hearing protection available to employees who ask for it.
At the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A), hearing protection becomes mandatory, hearing protection zones must be identified and marked, and employers must take action to reduce exposure at source.
The exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) is measured taking into account the attenuation provided by any hearing protection worn. Exposure must never exceed this value; if it does, the employer must act immediately to reduce it.
Where exposure exceeds the lower exposure action value, preventive audiometric testing must be made available. Where exposure exceeds the upper exposure action value, employees must be offered a hearing check carried out under the responsibility of a registered medical practitioner.
Meeting these duties starts with understanding where current noise exposure actually stands, and what controls, if any, are already in place.
Need a workplace noise or vibration risk assessment? Allegro Acoustics provides workplace and occupational noise surveys, personal dosimetry, noise mapping and hand-arm and whole-body vibration assessments, together with practical guidance on controls and compliance.
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