Noise is an unavoidable part of everyday human life. Whether we live in town or the countryside, we are surrounded by noise most of the time. While we must accept a certain degree of noise in our daily lives, there are some types of noise that are unwelcome and, in extreme cases, noise may have a damaging effect on our health.
The job of the environmental health practitioner is to ensure that the degree of noise in the environment around us remains at a level that is not harmful to health.
There are several ways in which EHPs help to control the amount of noise in the environment. The ideal approach is to try and prevent excessive amounts of noise occurring in the first place, for example by advising on suitable noise limits when planning applications for new developments are being considered.
Where excessive noise does occur, EHPs can investigate and suggest solutions to the problem. In many cases, the person or business making the noise is unaware they are causing a problem. The situation may be resolved by offering them advice on reducing the noise, or by getting them to talk with those living or working nearby to agree a mutually acceptable solution. Sometimes formal mediation can help in these situations.
If, however, a solution is not achievable by persuasion or negotiation and an EHP considers the noise to be so bad that it may be harmful to health, they may be able to take legal action under the statutory nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
In the longer term, EHPs are working to ensure that overall levels of noise in the environment are gradually reduced. Noise mapping is one of the tools employed in the UK and EU. It involves identifying the number of people affected by different levels of ambient noise, the source of that noise and the locations of the people affected. This knowledge can help in the production of noise action plans to manage noise, reduce noise levels where appropriate and promote tranquillity.
Further information
The CIEH publications on noise