Posted on: Sept. 15, 2025
Urgent Action: HSE report reveals "Serious Gaps" in PPE protection performance
The HSE noise inspection programme has revealed that >75% of employees exposed to potentially dangerous noise levels lack lack essential knowledge on how to use hearing protectors and 63% of them had not had any guidance on their use. So they are still at risk...
Seriously? After decades of PPE use, that's the situation?
PPE has been the only basis for almost all hearing conservation programmes. We have known about the serious shortcomings for decades, and yet the prevailing mistaken assumptions about the efficacy of PPE remain almost universal. Hence the continuing tsunami of hearing damage with the consequent dangers to health (x5 increased dementia risk), dangers to life quality (higher unemployment, x2 accident rate) and to claims costs (recent >£700k settlement - that could become commonplace).
It doesn't have to be like that...
The HSE published results from the current noise inspection programme tell a seriously depressing story followed by a call to action. You can download our free guide on Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) mitigation best practice for a summary of current best practices.
The following are the links to the HSE publications and general advice (CUFF) on the process improvements that inspectors will be expecting to see.
- The “Serious gaps” they found in hearing protection programmes: the depressing data
- General advice on how to improve hearing protection performance: the "CUFF" checking system
The following are links to additional and practical best practice resources.
Hearing conservation best practice update webinar
"eye-opening as to the options to reduce exposure... unaware of interesting risk control measures... amazing insights..."
