Noise at Work : NEMS & DOSIMETRY

Purpose

NOISE EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (NEMS)

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations impose a legal obligation on employers to prevent damage to the hearing of employees and visitors to their premises. Assessment of exposure to noise must be carried out by a competent person. NEMS & Dosimetry is the tool to assess and  identify all persons likely to be exposed, and provide information to indicate where action is needed and assist in deciding what further action is appropriate.

NEMS & Dosimetry techniques incorporated in undertaking a noise survey include the use of personal dosimetry to measure an employee’s exposure to noise over a working day, spot reading of sound pressure levels from various machines/locations, and the calculation of expected noise exposure based on duration spent in particular locations or carrying out specific tasks.

Target Audience

NEMS & Dosimetry course is for all employees where as Noise at work Competent Course is for Safety Officers and mid level managers of an installation or industry.

Course Content

The course will cover a range of topics starting with the fundamentals and basics of acoustics and sound through to the requirements and implementation of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (CoNAWR).  The modules taught include the following:

• The basics of sound;
• Mechanisms of hearing/ hearing loss and the ear;
• Definition of sound level;
• Decibel calculations;
• Noise exposure and its calculation;
• Noise measurement and sound level meters;
• The requirements of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations;
• Hearing protection.
• Practical operation of a dosimeter.

The noise at work competency training (NEMS & Dosimetry Competent Person or Noise at Work Competent Person) will last 2 days inclusive of both classroom time and a practical session at industrial facilities with the use of a sound level meter and survey requirement. The measured noise levels will then be used to prepare a noise assessment, in line with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations.