Exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage.

Damage can involve loss of hearing ability and people may also suffer a permanent sensation of noises or ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus.

Hearing loss caused by exposure to noise at work continues to be a significant occupational disease. Recent research estimates that 170,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, tinnitus or other ear conditions as a result of exposure to excessive noise at work.

Factors that contribute to hearing damage are:

• noise levels [given in decibel units dB(A)]
  
• how long people are exposed to the noise, daily and over a number of years

Action levels are values of daily personal exposure to noise (L_EP,d) which depend on working area noise levels and exposure times. The first action level is 85 dB(A),L_EP,d and the second action level is 90 dB(A),L_EP,d. Some common levels for concrete activities are given below.

Information can be obtained from Health and Safety Executive.