Avoiding impacts

[extracted from L108 "Controlling noise at work" p57-58]

Reduced drop-heights and cushioned impacts reduce noise[46]

Reduced drop-heights and cushioned impacts reduce noise

Noise generated by impacts, including components falling into chutes, bins and hoppers, and impacts generated by tooling can be considerable. Try to reduce the speed and/or height of falling objects and avoid impacts, or make arrangements to cushion them, eg:

  • fit buffers on stops and rubber or plastic surface coatings on chutes, to avoid
  • metal-to-metal impacts;
  • apply a progressive cutting edge to punch tooling on power presses to reduce
  • the impact noise;
  • use conveyor systems, designed to prevent the components being transported
  • from impacting against each other.

Try to limit or reduce the 'drop heights' of components. For example, components which are produced by pressings and are ejected and then dropped into a collecting bin can cause high noise levels. Reducing the force of the impact can reduce the noise levels.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Noise at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/index.htm
  2. Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/regulations.htm
  3. Worried about your hearing?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/worried.htm
  4. Overview - Worried about your hearing?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/worried.htm
  5. Audio demonstrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/assets/video/index.htm
  6. Overview - Advice for employershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/advice.htm
  7. Employers' responsibilitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/employers.htm
  8. How do I assess the risks?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/risks.htm
  9. Managing noise risks checklisthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/checklist.htm
  10. Overview - How do I protect my workers?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/protect.htm
  11. How do I control the risks from noise?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/controlrisks.htm
  12. Use the information from my risk assessment?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/useinfo.htm
  13. Reduce noise?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/reducenoise.htm
  14. Choose quieter equipment and machinery?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/choosequieter.htm
  15. Hearing protectionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/hearingprotection.htm
  16. What do I need to tell my employees?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/assets/video/tell-index.htm
  17. Employee and safety representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/safetyrep.htm
  18. Health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/healthsurveillance.htm
  19. Advice for manufacturershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/advice-for-manufacturers.htm
  20. Noise calculatorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/calculator.htm
  21. Key messageshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/keyfacts.htm
  22. Overview - Industry good practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/index.htm
  23. Overview - Managing noise riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/managingrisks.htm
  24. Over-protectionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/hearingoverprotect.htm
  25. Accounting for 'real-world' factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/hearingrealworld.htm
  26. Advice on issuing hearing protectionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/hearingadvice.htm
  27. Workplace designhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/workplacedesign.htm
  28. Plastic productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/plastics.htm
  29. Overview - Wood workinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/woodworking.htm
  30. Saw millinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/sawmilling.htm
  31. Air turbulencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/airturbulence.htm
  32. Planing and mouldinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/planingmoulding.htm
  33. Overview - Concrete and cementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/concrete.htm
  34. General informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/concretegeninfo.htm
  35. Avoiding impactshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/avoidingimpacts.htm
  36. Music and entertainmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/goodpractice/music-and-entertainment.htm
  37. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/casestudies/index.htm
  38. Full indexhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/casestudies/fullindex.htm
  39. Sound solutionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/casestudies/soundsolutions/index.htm
  40. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/furtherinfo.htm
  41. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/publications.htm
  42. Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/research.htm
  43. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/statistics.htm
  44. Overview - Policy statementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/policy.htm
  45. Acoustic shockhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/acoustic.htm
  46. https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/assets/images/avoiding_impacts.jpg
  47. Noise calculatorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/calculator.htm
  48. Noise: Don't lose your hearing https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg363.htm
  49. Noise at work: A brief guide to controlling the riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg362.htm
  50. Hearing loss - what's it like?https://www.hse.gov.uk/NOISE/assets/video/index.htm

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Updated 2021-02-11