In what could be a benchmark case on employers' liability, a panel of judges has ruled that ‘ordinary or average employers’ are not liable for injury caused by exposure to noise below 90 dB(A) before 1 January 1990.

A number of English football clubs have banned vuvuzelas from their grounds on match days on account of safety concerns.

Maintenance products supplier Brammer has issued a warning to industry about the need to limit employees’ exposure to hand-arm vibration caused by older equipment, in the light of legislation effective from July this year.



International integrated energy and refining company, ConocoPhillips has been praised by a medical research charity for an initiative that promotes awareness of the dangers of noise-induced hearing loss.

The majority of employers are not ready to make adjustments that address hearing loss among older employees.

Suffolk County Council has appeared in court for failing to manage health and safety at three of its workplaces, including two schools.

In what is believed to be only the third prosecution related to the management of vibration risks, Land Rover has been ordered to pay an £80,000 penalty after an HSE investigation uncovered “systematic” failings at the company’s Solihull plant.

A local council has admitted failing to take steps to protect a worker who developed a severe form of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

A Lincoln sheet-metal fabricator has appeared in court in what the HSE believes is the first proactive prosecution for potentially dangerous noise levels in ten years.

A Hampshire engineering firm has been fined £10,500 for failing to protect a worker from exposure to vibration in the workplace.

Because it is fed by and acts on information from all of the sensory organs – ears, eyes, nose and skin – the peripheral nervous system is vulnerable to the effects of myriad hazards in the workplace. Dr Chris Ide investigates.

Many manufacturing processes involve some form of abrasive tooling, meaning hand-arm vibration can be an issue. Nigel Willcock reminds employers of their responsibilities in this area and advises on steps to take to minimise vibration in the workplace.

In light of new research pointing towards a link between incessant noise in the workplace and cardiovascular disease, Simon Bull offers some pointers on hearing conservation methods and practices.

With about 22,000 staff plus 12,000 freelancers on location all around the world, the BBC needs robust safety management procedures to deal with the myriad risks and hazards its employees face. A major challenge is managing the performance of live classical music safely, so Ruth Hansford explains the work underway at the corporation to ensure everybody knows the score.

Cameron Clark considers a recent court case that could increase employers’ liability by imposing a stricter duty on organisations to provide and maintain a safe workplace.

With the Proms in full swing, the BBC has published a free musicians’ guide on noise, its effects, and how to deal with them.

The hearing of people working in the UK’s music and entertainment industry is being placed at risk, IOSH has warned.

Industrial noise-control specialist Wakefield Acoustics has been awarded high marks for its HS&E procedures in the ‘Verify’ programme of supplier-management services organisation, Achilles.

Scottish technology firm Reactec is celebrating after recording £1 million worth of sales for its vibration safety device to UK hire companies.

3M has created a free online service designed to help customers choose the most suitable hearing products for their workplace.

Castle Group has announced new dates for its 2012 training courses. The 2012 training calendar covers subjects such as Noise at Work, Human Vibration, Air Sampling for COSHH, Environmental Noise, and Diagnostic Vibration Analysis.

Safety and environmental management services provider pdenvironmental has announced the launch of a fully mobile audiometric testing service for the Yorkshire region.

Diversified technology company 3M has highlighted the role that can be played by specialist sound damping tapes in reducing noise from vibration in industrial environments.

The newly launched TrukTorque™ pneumatic torque multiplier from Norbar Torque Tools is said to feature a special banana-shaped reaction arm for tightening bolts on front and rear wheels of trucks and buses.

Offering a solution to noise problems, temporary SoundEx acoustic barriers are available from Nationwide Services Group Ltd.