Integrated Noise Services

Occupational Noise-Related Hearing Disorder has been recorded as the highest occupational disease reported to DOSH in 2021. The cases may continue to rise if no immediate actions are taken by the workplace. In guiding the workplace on the implementation of Occupational Safety and Health (Noise Exposure) Regulations 2019, Department of Occupational Health has issued Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) for Management of Occupational Noise Exposure and Hearing Conservation 2019.

Employer has the responsibility to ensure a noise control plan and program of action are developed and implemented. While the designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers shall ensure that plant is designed and constructed so that its noise emission is as low as practicable when properly installed and used.

As part of the measures in controlling the risk in the hearing conservation program, employer is required to come out with noise reduction measures such as engineering control and administrative controls. The ICOP specifies that an employer should make an assessment whether the measure is practicable to reduce excessive noise by way of engineering control or administrative control and prepare a justification report. The report amongst other should include the scale of the noise problem and its impact to the business and workers, cost and effort in reducing the noise exposure and effectiveness of planned control measures.