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Samuel Millen
Member - 2 posts
My company has a policy of playing loud background music in all its stores to attract our target customer base.
We have had some complaints and have agreed acceptable levels locally in one area. We have now been served with a noise abatement order.
I am aware of noise levels for machinery processes but cannot find any guidelines on music levels.
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George Bebbington - Bureau Veritas HS&E Ltd
Online advisor - 3 posts
There are two separate issues here that should not be confused. One is noise at work and the other is noise nuisance. The use of the words Noise Abatement Order implies an order issued under the Environmental Protection Act by the local authority to abate a noise nuisance.
For Noise at Work the issue is noise exposure for employed persons and the exposure limits are the same whether the noise is from machinery or from music, or indeed a combination of sources. For noise nuisance the order may specify restrictions such as noise level limits, hours of operation etc. If it merely says to abate the nuisance then the local authority should be consulted to establish their detailed requirements. There are no legal limits for environmental noise of this type. Whether the noise is classified as a nuisance or not is entirely up to the opinion of the local authority officer.
For either situation it would be worth contacting a specialist consultant for advice.
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