8th May 2009
This month marks Noise Action Week (NAW), an annual event backed by the charity Environmental Protection UK aimed at raising awareness of neighbour noise problems.
Local authorities will hold a multitude of events, which previously have included displays of confiscated noisy equipment, poster competitions, public information stalls in shopping centres, schools and libraries disseminating hundreds of leaflets, stickers and balloons. Then there are the campaigns to "find the noisiest child" and find the "top 10 most annoying noises". The primary focus tends to be to "educate" the public about unreasonable behaviour that can give rise to statutory nuisance, with an emphasis on maximum acceptable limits rather than desirable ideals. Yet the impact to health from noise is much more than just a nuisance.
Exposure to sustained noise can lead to stress with circulatory, digestive and psychological problems. The psychological effects can cause annoyance, anxiety, interfere with communication and disrupt/prevent sleep. In extreme cases, victims can be driven to suicide and assault. For individuals who suffer from debilitating conditions such as hyperacusis, everyday sounds are intrusively loud, giving rise to discomfort, sometimes pain and can lead to withdrawal from normal daily activities or self imposed isolation, further exacerbating the condition.
Since 2006 all local authorities in England and Wales are required under the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) – Housing Act 2004 to assess potential risks to the physical and mental health and safety of occupants from exposure to noise inside a dwelling or within its curtilage. It includes exposure to noise in the home caused by a lack of sufficient sound insulation. Where a HHSRS assessment identifies a category 1 hazard, the local authority has a mandatory duty to reduce it.
When undertaking a HHSRS assessment relating to hazards from noise, matters that need to be taken into consideration include the location of a dwelling and whether it is in a particularly noisy environment, has inadequate internal and external insulation, disrepair to windows/doors, inappropriately sited plumbing/fittings/facilities, noisy equipment; and overly strong door closers resulting in banging.
Physical causes can be rectified through a range of preventative measures. These include the provision of triple glazing, improving sound insulation between dwellings, resiting plumbing away from separating walls and ensuring that bathrooms/WCs in flats are not sited above living/bedrooms.
Local authorities ought to be aware (especially during NAW) that HHSRS applies to all dwellings regardless of tenure; and is not an optional extra.