Research estimates that 170,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, tinnitus or other ear conditions as a result of excessive noise at work. The problem occurs in many workplaces, but particularly in the manufacturing and construction industries, as well as farms, transport operations, mines and quarries. This year's campaign seeks to draw attention to the practical issues and ways of controlling noise in different working environments. For more information on the issue of noise in the workplace please visit HSE's Noise homepage . Hear for yourself what it is like to have noise induced hearing loss.

European Week 2005 is a campaign of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work . The European Agency has chosen the message ‘Stop That Noise' for the European Week campaign, and it may indeed be possible to eliminate excessive noise at source in some cases. But often it will be more realistic to control noise to get down to a more reasonable level; to amend work patterns to reduce exposure; and after that to provide workers with suitable hearing protection. Very often there will be proven solutions available to help employers reduce noise in their workplace. You may want to view the European Agency's cartoon animation (MPEG video) which highlights the problem of noise at work.

European Week 2005 provides a good opportunity to raise awareness of the new Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which are due to come into force on 6 April 2006 and are the result of an EU-led initiative – the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive. These new Regulations will help to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss and the supporting guidance will contain simple practical measures that employers can take to reduce exposure to noise at work.

select this link for information about the campaign

Advice on health and safety at work and home is available from Ashfield District Council's Environmental Health Officers.

The Council's Environmental Health Officers regularly inspect shops and offices to make sure they provide a safe and healthy environment for employees and the general public. These officers also investigate workplace accidents.
select this link for Environmental Health Division contact details

Further information on Health & Safety can be obtained from the Health and Safety Executive web-site.
The Health and Safety Executive is a Government organisation that produces publications to ensure that risks to health and safety from work activities are properly controlled.
select this link for the Health & Safety Executive's web-site

Five Steps to Risk Assessment leaflet from the Health and Safety Executive (PDF 218KB).

The TUC also has useful information on Health and Safety at work:
select this link for the TUC Health & Safety web-site

Another useful site is that of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents:

• select this link for the ROSPA web-site

RIDDOR

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities to identify where and how risks arise and to investigate serious accidents.

Reporting can now be done through a single point, the Incident Contact Centre (ICC), and on-line.

• Select this link to report an incident to RIDDOR and for further information
• Select this link for the full transcript of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act 1999

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has a mission to maintain, enhance and promote improvements in public and environmental health.
Select this link for the CIEH website