⏱️ Estimated reading time: 14 min
Key Takeaways
Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers must assess the risk, reduce noise at source, provide hearing protection and mark zones, maintain equipment and ensure its use, run health surveillance where there is a risk, and train workers.
Yes. Between 80 and 85 dB(A) your employer must make protectors available if you ask. At or above 85 dB(A), or a 137 dB(C) peak, they must provide them and make sure they are worn.
Your employer does. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 bars employers from charging workers for anything provided to meet a legal requirement, including hearing protectors.
Yes, wherever anyone is liable to be exposed at or above 80 dB(A). The business must record the significant findings and the measures taken or planned, and there is no small-firm exemption from recording them.
No. HSE says hearing protection should supplement noise control, not replace it. Earplugs are one control in the hierarchy, never the whole duty.
Workers must make full and proper use of the protectors and noise controls provided, report any defect, and attend health surveillance when their employer arranges it.
Employer responsibilities for noise at work in Great Britain come down to six duties: assess the risk, reduce the noise at source, provide hearing protection and mark zones, keep everything maintained and used, check hearing where there is a risk, and train people. All six come from the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, and they apply to a three-person joinery shop as much as a factory.
HSE estimates that around 15,000 workers in Great Britain have work-related hearing problems (Labour Force Survey, 2022/23 to 2024/25). Most small employers are not ignoring the law. They leave a box of foam plugs by the door and assume the job is done, which covers one duty in six.
Earplugs for work are usually the first thing an employer buys, and the rest of this guide is about everything that should come with them. At Bollsen, we are a hearing protection company founded in 2016 and trusted by 1,000,000+ people, and our earplugs for work range covers sites, workshops and warehouses. For what the 80, 85 and 87 dB(A) values mean from the worker’s side, see our explainer on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which sets out each exposure value and entitlement.
Which regulations set out an employer’s noise duties?
An employer’s noise duties sit in Regulations 4 to 10 of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1643), where Regulation 4 sets the exposure values and each later regulation adds one duty, from the risk assessment to information, instruction and training. The full text is on legislation.gov.uk.
Regulation 4: the exposure values
The lower exposure action value is 80 dB(A) daily or weekly, or a 135 dB(C) peak. The upper value is 85 dB(A) or 137 dB(C), and the limit is 87 dB(A) or 140 dB(C), measured at the ear with protection worn.
Regulation 5: the noise risk assessment
Where anyone is liable to be exposed at or above 80 dB(A), the employer must assess the risk, identify who is affected and estimate their exposure. The significant findings and planned measures must be recorded, and the assessment reviewed when the work changes.
Regulation 6: eliminate or control exposure
The employer must eliminate the noise at source or reduce it to as low a level as is reasonably practicable. Above 85 dB(A) that means a planned programme of technical and organisational measures, not just earplugs. If 87 dB(A) at the ear is exceeded, the employer must act immediately and stop it recurring.
Regulation 7: hearing protection and zones
From 80 dB(A), protectors must be available on request. From 85 dB(A) they must be provided and their use ensured, and the loud areas become marked zones that only people who need to be there may enter, a subject our guide to hearing protection zones and signage covers in full.
Regulation 8: maintenance and use of equipment
Everything provided, from enclosures and silencers to the earplugs themselves, must be properly used and kept in good repair. Workers must use it and report defects, which is the legal answer to can my employer make me wear earplugs. Clean, undamaged protectors are the core of earplug hygiene at work.
Regulation 9: health surveillance
Where the assessment shows a risk to health, the employer must arrange health surveillance and keep health records. According to HSE’s health surveillance guidance, that usually means workplace hearing tests for anyone regularly above 85 dB(A): a baseline, then yearly for two years, then every three years.
Regulation 10: information, instruction and training
From 80 dB(A), workers must be told the risks, the exposure values, the assessment’s findings and how to use protectors, including practical fitting, covered in our guide on how to put earplugs in and check the fit.
What does each duty look like when a small employer has done it?
For a business of 5 to 20 people, each duty is done when there is written evidence of it and workers can describe it, from a recorded noise risk assessment to protectors that stay in while the noise is on.
| Duty | Regulation | What “done” looks like for a small employer |
|---|---|---|
| Know your exposure values | Reg 4 | You know whether each job sits below 80, at 80 to 85, or above 85 dB(A), and whether any task produces peaks near 135 dB(C) |
| Assess and record the risk | Reg 5 | A dated assessment naming who is exposed, estimated exposure per task, the significant findings and the actions planned, reviewed when tools or work change |
| Reduce noise at source | Reg 6 | A short written action list: quieter tools bought, screens or enclosures fitted, machines serviced, loud tasks moved or shortened |
| Provide protection and mark zones | Reg 7 | Protectors free of charge, a choice of types, blue mandatory signs on areas above 85 dB(A), and wear enforced there |
| Maintain and ensure use | Reg 8 | Someone checks protectors and noise controls, replaces damaged ones, and challenges anyone working without protection in a zone |
| Health surveillance | Reg 9 | Hearing tests booked through an occupational health provider for workers regularly above 85 dB(A), with health records kept |
| Inform, instruct, train | Reg 10 | A toolbox talk on the risks, the findings, fitting, storage and reporting faults, with a signed attendance record |
You rarely need a consultant for a first estimate in a simple workshop. Our decibel chart answering how loud are power tools shows how quickly grinders, saws and breakers use up a daily dose. If the numbers come out borderline, get a competent person in with a meter.
When your worksite is too noisy, what should your employer try first?
Your employer should try to remove or reduce the noise at source first, then use engineering controls, then organise the work to cut exposure time, and only then rely on hearing protection. This order is the hierarchy of control, and Regulation 6 puts noise reduction ahead of protectors in law.
Elimination is the top rung. Think buying pre-cut timber instead of ripping boards on site. Engineering comes next, with lower-noise blades, anti-vibration mounts, acoustic screens or an enclosure round a compressor.
Organisational controls change who is exposed and for how long, like rotating the cut-off saw between three people or moving a noisy machine to a separate room. Halving someone’s time on a loud task halves their noise dose, which lowers their daily exposure by 3 dB. Protection comes last because it relies on every worker fitting it well and wearing it every minute the noise is on.
Where do earplugs fit in an employer’s hearing protection duties?
Earplugs are one control in the hierarchy, never the whole duty. They answer Regulation 7, and only properly when the employer has also done the assessment, reduced noise under Regulation 6, kept protectors in good condition under Regulation 8 and trained people to fit them under Regulation 10.
According to HSE’s hearing protection guidance, employers should offer a choice of protectors, check they work with hard hats, masks and eye protection, and avoid over-protection, meaning protectors that bring the level at the ear below 70 dB. HSE’s selection guide suggests an SNR of 20 or less for 85 to 90 dB(A), 20 to 30 for 90 to 95 dB(A), 25 to 35 for 95 to 100 dB(A) and 30 or more for 100 to 105 dB(A).
Our WorkPRO earplugs are passive, reusable earplugs made from hypoallergenic 2-lamella silicone. They are German-tested, independently certified 24 dB hearing protection, rated SNR 24 dB (H 24, M 21, L 19) under EN 352-2, in high-visibility yellow with a low profile that lets ear defenders fit over the top. Their attenuation rises with frequency, so higher tones are reduced most.
Where the noise assessment puts daily exposure at around 90 to 95 dB(A), our WorkPRO earplugs (SNR 24 dB, £29.95) sit inside HSE’s suggested band for that level and fit under ear defenders when the assessment calls for both. They cover the PPE rung only.
Offering a choice usually means comparing reusable vs foam vs banded earplugs for work. A worker who finds one type uncomfortable will simply take it out. Our guide to how much hearing protection you need matches SNR ratings to measured noise levels, rather than defaulting to the highest number.
Where do employers fall short, according to HSE inspections?
HSE’s 2025 noise inspection campaign found that about 1 in 4 workplaces visited needed mandatory hearing protection, and in high-noise workplaces 80% of workers had no instruction on how to fit it, while 95% of employers had not checked that protected workers could still hear warning signals.
The same HSE press release from September 2025 reported that 63% of workers had not been told to wear protection continuously, and more than 75% did not know how to store it, check it or report faults. As HSE inspector Chris Steel said, “If your defence against workplace noise is to give your workers hearing protection then you need to check that it works.”
HSE’s answer is the CUFF check: Condition, Use, Fit the ear and Fit for purpose. A loud warning stays audible through a passive earplug because it is loud, not because a filter passes it through, so the employer should test fire alarms and reversing alerts with protection in, the step 95% had skipped.
What should a small employer’s noise checklist include?
A small employer’s noise checklist should cover the seven steps of the duty ladder in order, from estimating exposure against 80 and 85 dB(A) to training and reviewing the assessment. Repeat it whenever tools, tasks or staff change.
- Estimate each worker’s daily exposure and note any task near a 135 dB(C) peak.
- Record the significant findings and the actions planned, with a date.
- Write down what you will do to remove or reduce the noise, and by when.
- Offer protectors free of charge from 80 dB(A), with at least two types to choose from.
- Above 85 dB(A), sign the zones, enforce wear and book hearing tests.
- Give a toolbox talk on fitting, storage and reporting damage, and keep the record.
- Check fit, condition and alarm audibility using CUFF at regular intervals.
If you are equipping a whole crew, our page on hearing protection for teams and bulk orders covers supplying reusable earplugs to a whole crew in one order.
What are workers owed, and what must they do?
Workers are owed free hearing protection on request from 80 dB(A), protection that must be provided and worn from 85 dB(A), training, and hearing tests where the assessment shows a risk. In return they must use it and report defects.
HSE has a simple rule of thumb. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone about 2 metres away for at least part of the day, ask whether a noise assessment has been done. Raise it with a supervisor first, then a safety or union representative, and HSE or the local authority if nothing changes.
Bar, crew and stage work follow the same law, covered in our guide to hearing protection for venue staff, with the legal side for entertainment set out in our article on noise rules for music venues. Anyone who notices muffled hearing or ringing after a shift should speak to a GP or occupational health.
What happens if an employer ignores the noise regulations?
An employer that ignores the noise regulations can be served an improvement notice, setting a deadline to put things right, or a prohibition notice that stops the work, by HSE or the local authority. Serious or repeated breaches can lead to prosecution, so keep the assessment, action plan and training records on file.
None of the six duties works on its own. Assess first, reduce the noise where you can, then provide, maintain and train for the protection that covers the rest. Hearing lost to work noise does not come back, which is why the law puts earplugs last in line rather than first.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.