The Control of Noise at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Interpretation N.I.

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“daily personal noise exposure” means the level of daily personal noise exposure of an employee as ascertained in accordance with Schedule 1 Part 1, taking account of the level of noise and the duration of exposure and covering all noise;

“emergency services” include—

(a)

police, fire, rescue and ambulance services;

(b)

Her Majesty’s Coastguard;

“enforcing authority” means the Executive or district council, determined in accordance with the provisions of the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999(1);

“the Executive” means the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland;

“exposure limit value” means the level of daily or weekly personal noise exposure or of peak sound pressure set out in regulation 4 which must not be exceeded;

“health surveillance” means assessment of the state of health of an employee, as related to exposure to noise;

“lower exposure action value” means the lower of the two levels of daily or weekly personal noise exposure or of peak sound pressure set out in regulation 4 which, if reached or exceeded, require specified action to be taken to reduce risk;

“the music and entertainment sectors” means all workplaces where—

(a)

live music is played; or

(b)

recorded music is played in a restaurant, bar, public house, discotheque or nightclub, or alongside live music or a live dramatic or dance performance;

“noise” means any audible sound;

“peak sound pressure” means the maximum sound pressure to which an employee is exposed, ascertained in accordance with Schedule 2;

“risk assessment” means the assessment of risk required by regulation 5;

“ship” includes every description of vessel used in navigation;

“territorial sea” means the territorial sea of the United Kingdom adjacent to Northern Ireland and “within the territorial sea” includes on, over and under it;

“upper exposure action value” means the higher of the two levels of daily or weekly personal noise exposure or of peak sound pressure set out in regulation 4 which, if reached or exceeded, require specified action to be taken to reduce risk;

“weekly personal noise exposure” means the level of weekly personal noise exposure as ascertained in accordance with Schedule 1 Part 2, taking account of the level of noise and the duration of exposure and covering all noise; and

“working day” means a daily working period, irrespective of the time of day when it begins or ends, and of whether it begins or ends on the same calendar day.

(2) In these Regulations, a reference to an employee being exposed to noise is a reference to the exposure of that employee to noise which arises while he is at work, or arises out of or in connection with his work.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 2 in operation at 6.4.2006 for specified purposes, see reg. 1

I2 Reg. 2 in operation at 6.4.2008 in so far as not already in operation, see reg. 1(a)

(1)

S.R. 1999 No. 90, as amended by S.R. 2000 No. 375 and S.R. 2003 No. 33