Media Release

6 July 2010

Noise hazards are a big concern in the metal manufacturing industry. Staff from the Department of Labour’s Auckland and Whangarei offices have been working on a workplace health and safety project with metal manufacturers for the past two years and during this time over 600 local businesses have been visited.

One of the areas emphasised by the Health and Safety in Employment Act is the importance of employees participating in health and safety in the workplace and during a visit to Hulme Aluminium a Health and Safety Inspector came across an excellent example of the contribution employees can make to workplace safety.

An air compressor was housed in the premises and this is a piece of equipment which has the potential to produce unnecessary noise exposure to employees. However, upon inspection, the inspector found a unique, simple but effective noise control enclosure surrounding the compressor.

Soon after the compressor was installed, a wooden box was constructed around it to help isolate the noise; this helped but only a little. However, the employees collected egg boxes and lined the inside wall of the wooden box and this significantly reduced the noise.

This solution reduced the noise from being potentially harmful to a relatively insignificant level.

The Department of Labour’s Service Manager for Auckland North, Zaneta Schumann says that isolation or minimisation of noise at the source is the better option for any business compared to the alternative noise protection equipment available.

“Very often employers are under the impression that a significant amount of money is required to isolate a noise at the source but this example shows conclusively that is not necessarily the case. A little innovative thinking is cost-effective and goes a long way to ensure the health and safety compliance in noise levels at the workplace” Ms Schumann says.

“The cost of ignoring noise is high and the disability is irreversible. Both employers and employees have a role to play in reducing noise”.

ENDS.

Please note that health and safety services, formerly referred to as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) should now be referred to as the Department of Labour.