Proposed EU physical agents directives on noise and vibration

The proposed European Union Physical Agents (Noise) and Physical Agents (Vibration) Directives are likely to be adopted in 2002. Member states will be required to introduce domestic regulation within three years of adoption. The Physical Agents (Noise) Directive is a development of the 1986 Noise Directive which is implemented in the UK as the Noise at Work Regulations. The new Directive proposes to reduce limits on personal noise exposure to a limit value 85 dB(A) and an action value of 80 dB(A), representing a 5 dB reduction when compared to existing legislation. The Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive will, for the first time in the UK, place limits on worker's exposure to whole body and hand-transmitted vibration.