Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995

Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY (NOISE) COMPLIANCE STANDARD 1995 Reprinted as in force on 28 March 1996 (standard not amended up to this date) Reprint No. 1 This reprint is prepared by the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel Warning—This reprint is not an authorised copy

Information about this reprint This standard is reprinted as at 28 March 1996. Minor editorial changes allowed under the provisions of the Reprints Act 1992 mentioned in the following list have been made to— • use expressions consistent with current drafting practice (s 29) • reorder definitions consistent with current drafting practice (s 30). See endnotes for information about when provisions commenced.

Queensland WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY (NOISE) COMPLIANCE STANDARD 1995 TABLE OF PROVISIONS Section Page 1 Short title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 Purpose of standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 What standard does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 Who standard applies to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7 What is “excessive noise” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 8 Preventing risks from exposure to excessive noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ENDNOTES 1 Index to endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 Date to which amendments incorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4 List of legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

s1 3 s6 Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY (NOISE) COMPLIANCE STANDARD 1995 [reprinted as in force on 28 March 1996] ˙ Short title 1. This standard may be cited as the Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 . ˙ Commencement 2. This standard commences on 1 February 1996. ˙ Purpose of standard 3. This standard gives legislative effect, so far as is possible under the Act, to the National Standard for Occupational Noise declared by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. ˙ What standard does 4. This standard prescribes ways of preventing or minimising risks to workers from exposure to excessive noise at a workplace. ˙ Who standard applies to 5. This standard applies to an employer at a workplace. ˙ Definitions 6. In this standard— “an 8 hour equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level of 85 dB(A)” means the actual energy of varying noise levels experienced over a period is equivalent to an 8 hour continuous steady

s7 4 s7 Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 A-weighted sound pressure level of 85 dB(A). “A-weighted” means a standardised frequency response (in dB(A)) used in sound measuring instruments and corresponding approximately to the human ear response. “dB(A)” means A-weighted decibels. “dB(lin)” means unweighted decibels. “excessive noise” see section 7. “unweighted” means a sound pressure level (in dB(lin)) measured using an instrument with a flat or linear frequency response. ˙ What is “excessive noise” 7.(1) For this standard, “excessive noise” is a level of noise above— (a) an 8 hour equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level of 85 dB(A), referenced to 20 µPa; 1 or (b) an unweighted peak sound pressure level of 140 dB(lin), referenced to 20 µPa. 2 (2) For subsection (1), the sound pressure level is the level determined at the worker’s ear without regard to protection available to a worker wearing hearing protectors, and measured— (a) for an 8 hour equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level of 85 dB(A)—under AS 1269; or (b) for an unweighted peak sound pressure level—by a sound level meter with a peak detector indicator complying with AS 1259.1. 3 1 The symbol for this sound pressure level is L Aeq,8h of 85 dB(A). ‘µPa’ means micropascals. 2 The symbol for this sound pressure level is L peak of 140 dB(lin). ‘µPa’ means micropascals. 3 Australian Standard AS 1269—Acoustics—Hearing Conservation and AS 1259.1 Acoustics—Sound Level Meters are published by, and may be purchased from, Standards Australia.

s8 5 s8 Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 ˙ Preventing risks from exposure to excessive noise 8. An employer must prevent risks to the employer’s workers from exposure to excessive noise at work.

6 Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 † ENDNOTES ´ 1 Index to endnotes Page 2 Date to which amendments incorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4 List of legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ´ 2 Date to which amendments incorporated This is the reprint date mentioned in the Reprints Act 1992, section 5(c). However, no amendments have commenced operation on or before that day. Future amendments of the Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 may be made in accordance with this reprint under the Reprints Act 1992, section 49. 3 ´ AIA amd ch def div exp gaz hdg ins lap notfd om o in c p para prec pres prev = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Key Key to abbreviations in list of legislation and annotations Acts Interpretation Act 1954 amended chapter definition division expires/expired gazette heading inserted lapsed notified omitted order in council page paragraph preceding present previous (prev) proc prov pt pubd R[X] RA reloc renum rep s sch sdiv SIA SL sub unnum = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = previously proclamation provision part published Reprint No.[X] Reprints Act 1992 relocated renumbered repealed section schedule subdivision Statutory Instruments Act 1992 subordinate legislation substituted unnumbered

7 Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 ´ 4 List of legislation Workplace Health and Safety (Noise) Compliance Standard 1995 SL No. 381 notfd gaz 15 December 1995 pp 1560–5 ss 1–2 commenced on date of notification remaining provisions commenced 1 February 1996 (see s 2) © State of Queensland 1996