Noise is a very subjective topic; every individual has a different tolerance to noise in their environment. A noise nuisance can come from industrial sites, vehicles and the public. A lot of people think about their rights to reduced noise levels and what they can do to create a long-term change whether it’s in their workplace or more importantly their home.
When Does Noise Become a Nuisance?
British law defines a nuisance as an “unlawful interference with a person’s use or enjoyment of land or some right over, or in connection, with it” when noise becomes a nuisance opinion is up for debate. The factors that are questioned are the volume of the noise and how frequently it occurs.
General Noise Pollution
General noise can be a factor anywhere, it can come from local traffic, crowds, loud individuals and much more. If you’re at home and you find that morning traffic is a concern, there isn’t a lot that can be done about it. The council can’t look at speaking individual drivers to reduce noise in local areas, however, if enough locals report it a sign or additional road may be considered to reduce noise.
Anti-social behaviour near your home that is causing noise can be reported and usually, the individuals will be warned to reduce their unnecessary noise levels. If for example you live in a town centre and the public is loud outside in the morning again you can’t really complain about it, as you can have opted to live in a busy urban area.
Industrial Noise
Industrial noise is constantly under scrutiny, a big industry questioned is construction. They are temporary in your area but can be very loud in the early hours of the morning, if you choose to complain about the noise the council will consider whether they are using the “best practical means”. This means if the construction company are using the lowest volume equipment or the necessary equipment then the noise pollution will not be stopped on this occasion.
If you live close to a large warehouse or enter your local shop noise cancellation should have been put into place, there are specialised products a business can buy to reduce or cancel out noise pollution with. Products such as acoustic enclosures, barriers, louvres and attenuators can all be put in industrial businesses or public stores to reduce noise pollution and lower risk to members of staff. Having lower levels of noise in businesses is healthier for employees, its reduces the effects of hearing loss but also helps enhance communication so safety measures are optimized.