Noise risks now assessed separately in pregnancy

Noise risk assessment and the factors it must weigh are governed by asetus 85/2006. Because some listed items need occupational-health help, others need knowledge of the workplace's specific conditions, and the assessor needs exposure levels, special characteristics, measurement technique and effects knowledge, the employer works together with työterveyshuolto and a työhygienia expert. The assessment may sit inside the workplace survey or as a separate document. The employer keeps it so each worker can learn the result for themselves, and reviews it where risk-affecting matters such as methods or conditions change significantly or a worker is found to have noise-caused hearing injury.

The employer assesses each worker's daily noise exposure and the maximum peak sound pressure or level on a typical working day, and where intensity varies markedly from day to day also the average over five working days. Measurement is generally needed for a reliable assessment, and it is mandatory where the noise contains impulsive sounds or where voices must be raised for a person two metres away to understand. A competent person with equipment and skill is generally used, and the result must reliably show each worker's exposure against the toiminta- and raja-arvot so the employer can decide the protection against hearing injury. Per-worker measurement and assessment results are retained, and the assessment and measurement are repeated where exposure changes significantly.

The plan to reduce exposure weighs the level, type and duration of exposure, rising level, combined impulsive and loud steady noise, frequency concentration, suddenness, lack of control, lengthening exposure, recovery time, the limit and action values with more urgent action for larger exceedances, workers especially susceptible to noise risk, combined effects with ototoxic substances such as trikloorietyleeni, ksyleeni, styreeni, tolueeni, vetysyanidi, hiilidisulfidi, lyijy and hiilimonoksidi, combined effects with vibration, masking of warning sounds and other interactions, machine emission information in manuals and brochures, the possibility of using less exposing tools, employer-ordered stays in noisy conditions outside working time such as on ships, and other relevant information. That residual category now reads terveystarkastusten tulokset instead of kuulontarkastusten tuloksetTyosuojeluTyosuojelu, alongside scientific research on noise burden and the availability of suitable hearing protectors. The previous instruction that risk is assessed as higher when quieter machines are available has been deletedTyosuojelu.

Where noise exists, the employer has työterveyshuolto identify workers especially susceptible by personal characteristics and specifically protects their health and safety in noise matters. Melu is named as a physical hazard in the raskaudensuojeluasetusTyosuojelu, so noise-caused risks are now assessed separately for pregnant workersTyosuojelu. After a probable noise-caused hearing injury is found, the employer reviews the exposure and risk assessment and whether the preventive measures suffice and bite.

Legal basis: Valtioneuvoston asetus työntekijöiden suojelemisesta melusta aiheutuvilta vaaroilta 85/2006, 16–17 §; Valtioneuvoston asetus raskaana olevien, äskettäin synnyttäneiden ja imettävien työntekijöiden suojelemisesta työssä vaaraa aiheuttavilta tekijöiltä 143/2024, 1–2 §.