Noise from Machinery Intended for the Workplace

Health Canada

Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau (Acoustics)

August 2010

Health Canada - Notice to Stakeholders

Subject: Noise from Machinery Intended for the Workplace

The purpose of this Notice is to further strengthen ongoing efforts to help reduce the number of workers per year who suffer hearing impairments, such as permanent hearing loss, resulting from exposure to occupational noise.

Across Canada, approximately 9,000 workers each year suffer from some form of hearing impairment, including tinnitus (ringing in the ears), due to an overexposure to occupational noise. Excessive occupational noise has additionally been shown to increase the risk of accidents within the workplace, when workers fail to hear warning sounds.

Health Canada recommends that machinery, intended for the workplace be sold, leased or imported into Canada, with accompanying standardized noise emission declarations in both the technical sales literature and the instructions for use.

The Canadian Standards Association's (CSA) Standard Z107.58 Noise Emission Declarations for Machinery is the National Standard for Canada. It provides manufacturers with a means to determine and to create noise emissions declarations for the machinery they produce. Noise emission declarations for machinery help to support noise reduction guidance provided by provincial authorities. These declarations enable purchasers to select machines that are compliant with their noise-level requirements, and affords them the opportunity to reduce the level of noise within their workplaces by helping them to purchase quieter machinery and plan noise controls.

The information contained in the CSA Standard Z107.58 is intended to be consistent with: (i) the European Union (EU) Machinery Directive; (ii) the EU Directive 2003/10/EC on workplace noise; and (iii) numerous international standards supporting these EU Directives.

Comments pertaining to this notice should be directed to: ccrpb-pcrpcc@hc-sc.gc.ca