The HSE has responded to the prime minister’s and MPs calls for the House of Commons commission to review whether Big Ben should be silenced for four years during renovation work.
The Health and Safety Executive said in a statement that ‘people’s health should not be made worse by the work they do and that no worker should suffer any hearing loss while working on this project.’
It said: “As part of our regulatory role, HSE has liaised with both the client and the principal contractor on this major construction project in central London. This has been one of many projects where we work with contractors in the planning stages, and we’ve noted how intricate, complex and challenging this particular exercise will be. Health and safety aside, we understand these challenges would have silenced Big Ben’s chimes for at least two years anyway.
“While we were aware part of the project related to the clock, we have not been involved in discussions about how that work will be specifically carried out.
“There is broad agreement that the noise risks associated with working around the clock bells are highly significant and we would expect the principal contractor to manage those risks. How it does so is a matter for those involved and their client.”
It follows the announcement that Big Ben was to have the Great Bell stopped during a large-scale, multi-million pound restoration project to ensure the health and safety of workers on site.
It also comes as the TUC health and safety expert, Hugh Robertson, welcomed the move, comparing Big Ben to ‘putting your ear next to a police siren’.
Silly season
He said: “We know August is silly season, but today’s headlines just don’t ring true. When all 14 tonnes of Big Ben bongs near you, you’ll know it. At nearly 120 decibels, it’s like putting your ear next to a police siren.
“Protecting workers’ hearing is far from ‘health and safety gone mad’. It’s just plain common sense.”
But May said: “Of course we want to ensure people’s safety at work but it can’t be right for Big Ben to be silent for four years.
“And I hope that the Speaker, as the chairman of the House of Commons commission, will look into this urgently so that we can ensure that we can continue to hear Big Ben through those four years.”
Re-assessment of silence
Lib Dem MP Tom Brake, a member of the commission responsible for the Palace of Westminster maintenance work, has written to the director general of the Commons requesting a re-assessment of the decision to silence Big Ben.
He said: “It would not be possible for them to continue to be rung every 15 minutes as is currently the case, that would not be practical, but it may be perhaps practical and it may be financially viable to ring them more frequently than is currently being proposed.”
But it also follows other MPs making disparaging remarks about the health and safety of workers, including Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, who said: “Tell the poor little darlings to put headphones on.”
Ear defenders
Some commentators have suggested that ear defenders and shorter shifts could have been used in order to protect the health and safety of workers and also ensure Big Ben’s bell still rang. Workers currently on site at the Elizabeth Tower have been using ear defenders for short periods while exposed to Big Ben’s noise.
An article in the Daily Mail even suggested workers use a specific product – 3M Peltor LiteCom ear defenders, which the paper claimed cost £500 – in order to provide noise abatement from the bell.
But the exposure time of four years to Big Ben’s 120dB sound has meant that some commentators have questioned whether any PPE could mitigate long-term hearing damage for workers.
However, others have said such products are regularly used on construction and manufacturing sites, where noise levels are similar to Big Ben.
Approaches to managing the risks associated Musculoskeletal disorders
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.
Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.
They have no basic understanding of noise induced hearing loss and how it is irreversible. They also pass laws to protect workers and then want it ignored in this case. They do not know what they are talking about. Our challenge is to educate them!
Why cant the bells be recorded and played back as normal from a source that Londoners can hear but from a location/direction that does not harm the workers?
Why cant the bells be recorded and played as usual from a source that Londoners (and our esteemed colleagues in Whitehall) can hear but sufficiently remote such that workers hearing is not harmed
I suggest that a recording of the bell be played at 120db in the Commons chamber every 15 minutes to see if the darling MPs can work or concentrate
Why can’t the bells still be used during the out of work hours or is this project a 24/7 work in progress?
I would be surprised if adequate PPE could not be supplied. There are many options available which would allow for the safe working of the tradesmen but the reality is that anything that cuts noise also cuts a certain amount of speech perception at the same time. The signal to noise ratio is dependant on the proximity to the noise source. The fuss about the bells is so much white noise. (or so little)
However if they want protection – we have it.
Maybe the “poor little darlings” MP’s can take out insurance for all the workers, and pay compensation and any other expenses they may be required to have for their hearing loss!! It is so ridiculous that they want a different rule for them and are not bothered by the legislation they passed! But I’ve a good idea, as they don’t seem to have a clue, and to ensure that they know what its like, let them stand by the bell for a day with the chimes and them let us all know what its like afterwards! More MP’s should walk… Read more »
This is health and safety gone mad. Why can’t they just wear ear plugs for goodness sake.
Well done James for that stupid remark. A lot of people think that all H&S is mad and it looks like you are one. Current H&S if practictioners use it in the correct manner is there to protect operatives and workers alike. Have you ever heard the bells at close quarters and what damage do you think it will do to a persons hearing. These days we have our phones to tell us the time or try a wrist watch. Why don’t we let these people get on and do the job without people making silly remarks without knowing the… Read more »