Beispieldaten-Modus. Die gezeigten Beispielfirmen, Angebote und Anfragen sind fiktiv (KI-Bilder) und zählen nicht in die Statistik unten.
Lesson 5 of 8
Noise: limits, action values and the order of controls
Sawmills are loud. A 2014 study published in the journal Drvna industrija (Greece, three sawmills) found that production areas were noisier than warehouses and offices, that levels "significantly exceed maximum permissible levels", and that the highest levels came from cutting machinery. The measured dB(A) values were not available in the portal's source, so this lesson does not quote any.
The EU framework: Directive 2003/10/EC
Article 3 of Directive 2003/10/EC sets three levels, based on the daily exposure level LEX,8h (noise averaged to an eight-hour working day, in dB(A)) and on the peak sound pressure (in dB(C)):
| Level | Daily exposure LEX,8h | Peak sound pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure limit value | 87 dB(A) | 140 dB(C) (200 Pa) |
| Upper exposure action value | 85 dB(A) | 137 dB(C) (140 Pa) |
| Lower exposure action value | 80 dB(A) | 135 dB(C) (112 Pa) |
The text was read on the UK legislation website, which hosts the version in force when the UK left the EU. Later EU amendments, if any, would not appear there, and your own national transposition may set stricter values.
The protector rule
Under Article 3(2), the effect of hearing protectors is taken into account when applying the exposure limit values but not the exposure action values. In plain terms: you cannot make a workplace "compliant" with the action values simply by handing out earmuffs. The portal's interpretation is that the legal logic is to reduce noise first at its source, with protectors as the last layer.
Worked example: classify four workers
Using the daily exposure values in the table:
| Worker | LEX,8h | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Office clerk | 78 dB(A) | below the lower action value of 80 |
| Planer feeder | 82 dB(A) | at or above the lower action value, below 85 |
| Trimmer operator | 86 dB(A) | above the upper action value of 85, below the limit of 87 |
| Chipper attendant | 88 dB(A) | above the exposure limit value of 87 (before any protector effect is considered) |
(These numbers are illustrative values chosen to show the bands; they are not measurements.) Each higher band means more has to be done. The lesson from the table is that the bands are about the worker's daily exposure, not about a single loud moment; the separate peak values cover short, very loud events.
Control at source first
The portal's article lists examples of reducing noise at the source or along its path:
- quieter blades;
- enclosed chippers and debarkers;
- damped chutes;
- cabins for operators;
- maintenance of bearings and guards.
The Greek study similarly recommends noise reduction at source or along the transmission path, hearing protectors or breaks. HSE lists high noise levels among the main sawmill problem areas.
Checklist: noise in your mill
- Has noise been measured against the 80, 85 and 87 dB(A) values and the peak values?
- Which machines or areas produce the highest levels (cutting machinery is the usual culprit in the Greek study)?
- What can be done at the source first?
- Are hearing protectors provided and used as the last layer, not the only layer?
- Have you checked your national transposition for stricter values?
A common misunderstanding
"We give everyone ear defenders, so noise is solved." The directive's wording shows why this is not enough: protectors are credited only against the limit value, never against the action values. The action values are triggers for organisational and technical measures.
Key points
- Directive 2003/10/EC values for daily exposure: 80 dB(A) lower action, 85 dB(A) upper action, 87 dB(A) limit; peak values 135, 137 and 140 dB(C).
- Hearing protectors count against the limit value but not against the action values.
- Reduce noise at source or along its path first; protectors are the last layer.
- Production areas with cutting machinery were found noisiest in a Greek study; the portal has no measured dB(A) values to quote.
- Check your national transposition for stricter values.