Noise from your business activities can harm human health and the environment. It's important to find ways to control, reduce or eliminate noise from your business.
Many different sources and activities generate noise, including:
- heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
- compressors
- machinery and equipment
- vehicle movement and beepers.
Some examples of industries and businesses that need to manage noise include:
- cafes and restaurants
- gyms and fitness centres
- pubs, taverns and bars
- manufacturing
- automotive repairs and servicing
- supermarkets
- logistics and road freight depots
- concrete batching.
Manage risks from noise
The general environmental duty requires you to eliminate or reduce risk to human health and the environment from your pollution and waste.
Eliminating noise is the preferred approach. Other approaches involve:
- replacing the cause of the noise with an alternative that does not create noise
- physical engineering controls
- administrative controls, such as procedures and training.
Follow a risk management process to identify hazards, assess risk, and implement and monitor controls.
To learn more about the risks in your industry, visit know your industry's obligations.
Control noise
The controls you put in place depend on your business activities and the type or frequency of noise.
Controls to reduce noise include:
- acoustic louvres
- barriers and enclosures
- duct attenuators or silencers
- managing noise from reverse beepers
- managing truck noise
- mufflers or exhaust silencers
- pipe lagging
- site planning and management
- vibration isolation.
You can use other controls not listed here. You must show us you've eliminated or reduced the risk of harm as far as reasonably practicable.
You may need advice from a qualified consultant, such as an acoustic consultant.
Manage noise complaints
Complaints about noise are common. People are likely to be more impacted by:
- short, sharp noises, such as hammering or metal-on-metal contact
- tonal noises, such as humming, whining and buzzing
- high-energy noise in low frequencies.
To respond to noise complaints:
- find the source of the noise
- investigate the cause of the noise – for example, if equipment needs maintenance
- check controls and continually apply your risk management process
- keep the people who made the complaint informed where you can.
You could also measure the noise from where the person is affected – for example, their home.
Keeping a log of noise complaints can help you do this. Your log could include:
- the name, address and contact number of the person who made the complaint
- details of the noise, such as its intensity and how long it goes for
- wind direction
- time of day
- what you were doing at the time
- what you've done to fix the problem.
Examples: how to manage noise from a business
These examples show how to apply a risk management process to manage noise. Use them as a guide only. Your business may need more or different controls.
Warehouse store noise
Val manages a warehouse store specialising in products for pets and pet grooming. It’s located in a business zone that backs onto residential dwellings.
Identify main sources of noise
The feedback Val receives from nearby residents helps her monitor noise. Val takes complaints seriously, knowing that noise can be annoying, impact sleep and cause other health issues. Val keeps a log of complaints and addresses them as soon as possible.
Val reviews complaints. Val identifies the main source of noise. It is delivery and waste collection vehicles entering and exiting the rear of her building early in the morning and at night.
Put controls in place
Val puts in place some simple changes:
- asking drivers to pull up directly into receival bays
- keeping roller doors closed when not in use
- avoiding wholesaler and waste transport pick-ups and deliveries when people are more likely to be at home.
Val has taken other steps to control noise. For example, there's an airlock system on receival bay doors to reduce noise levels outside the warehouse. Val also switches off non-essential equipment at night.
Val is confident that her noise controls are working.
Monitor noise
Val also monitors the noise levels of the air-conditioning systems. They are maintained to manufacturer specifications, but Val is aware that they could potentially be noisy.
Waste and recycling facility noise
Peter manages a waste and recycling facility, which is close to homes and backs onto a nature reserve.
Peter has noticed increased levels of noise on site. He has also received some complaints about noise from the local community.
Peter is aware he needs to improve how he manages noise from his facility. He takes these complaints seriously, because excessive noise can:
- cause sleep disturbance, hypertension and heart disease
- disturb local wildlife.
Identify main sources of noise
Peter reviews the complaints and thinks about the noisy activities on site. He identifies that the main noise source is waste delivery and collection trucks entering and exiting the facility from the side boundary.
Put controls in place
Peter decides to install a noise barrier along the side boundary to reduce the noise that neighbours hear. The back boundary already has a tall brick fence that reduces noise going into the nature reserve.
Peter realises he should avoid pick-ups and deliveries when people are likely to be at home to further reduce noise complaints. He speaks with waste transport contractors and organises to avoid early mornings, evenings and weekends.
Peter's staff maintain the equipment and machinery to manufacturer's specifications. This means their vehicles, machinery and equipment rarely cause problems. They also record the maintenance activities in the register.
Monitor noise
Peter and his team regularly monitor and assess all parts of the facility for excessive noise.
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