Noise and vibration from recycling and reprocessing

Your business can create noise in many ways, for example from machinery, vehicles and playing loud music.

Your activities can also create vibration. The definition of noise nuisance also covers vibration and both are controlled at the same time.

If noise from your activities causes a nuisance to the surrounding community, your local council or environmental regulator can limit your operations or even stop you from working. They can restrict:

• the machinery you use
• your working hours
•  noise levels from your premises.

If you do not address a noise problem you could face legal action and a fine.

What you must do

You must comply with any noise conditions set out in the planning approval for your site.

Register your burglar alarms

If your business is located in a designated alarm notification area you must:

• register your burglar alarm with your local council
• provide the details of a person who holds the keys
• ensure the key holder knows how to use the alarm system.

You could be fined if you do not register. Contact your local council to find out if your business is in a alarm notification area.

Contact your local council

Protect your employees from loud noise

Loud noise can cause irreversible hearing damage. You must protect your employees’ hearing.

Health and Safety Executive: Noise
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland

Check your permit conditions

If you have a Part A environmental permit (England and Wales) or a Part A pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit (Northern Ireland and Scotland), your permit may have conditions that control noise and vibration.

Business Link (England): Environmental permits - who needs one and how to comply
Pollution prevention and control permits
Business.Wales.gov.uk (Wales): Environmental permits - who needs one and how to comply

Good practice

Carry out noisy activities away from areas where noise may cause a nuisance. Position noisy equipment away from your site boundary. You can use existing buildings to shield the noise source.

Make sure your buildings have adequate soundproofing. Shutting your doors and windows will also reduce noise.

Use solid panelled fencing around your site instead of wire fences. This can help to screen the source and reduce the level of noise from your site.

Stand outside your site boundary and listen for noise that neighbours may consider to be irritating. If you can hear noise, they can too.

Reduce noise from your equipment and vehicles

Service your vehicles and machinery regularly. Well maintained equipment will make less noise and is also less likely to break down.

Fit noise-reducing devices, such as silencers and baffles, to your machinery.

When you replace equipment, consider purchasing quieter alternatives. New equipment can introduce a noise problem. You should carry out a noise assessment before you install a new piece of equipment.

Use mains generated electricity instead of diesel generators.

Minimise the use of vehicle reversing alarms and set up a one-way driving system on your site. Consider using broadband reversing alarms that use white noise and can reduce the level of noise generated.

Reduce noise from your vehicles by:

• turning off engines when they are not in use
• checking the brakes are properly adjusted and don’t squeal
• not revving the engine unnecessarily
• only using the horn in emergencies
• replacing exhaust systems as soon as they become noisy
• replacing vehicles with electric or gas powered alternatives.

Electric vehicles are quieter than other vehicles. If you buy your electricity from renewable sources, they could also be a more environmentally friendly option for your business.

Limit noisy activities to daylight hours

Noise is more likely to be a nuisance at night. In noise sensitive locations you should:

• restrict deliveries to daytime working hours
• schedule noisy operations for the daytime
• switch off unnecessary radios and tannoys.

If you operate a night shift, move materials into the work area during the day or early evening. This will reduce the risk of complaints from the local community.

Prevent noise from alarms

Prevent your burglar alarms from causing a nuisance by ensuring that:

• you have a maintenance contract and a callout agreement
• the alarm automatically shuts down after no longer than 20 minutes.

Your local council can get permission to enter your premises to silence persistent or recurring alarms.

Reduce complaints

It is in your best interests to maintain good relations with your neighbours. Give neighbours early warning of any particularly noisy activities you plan to carry out.

Notify your local Environmental Health Department or environmental regulator’s office in advance of any event that is likely to generate high levels of noise that may cause complaints.

Display details of a contact person for your site so local residents can contact you with any concerns. You can then deal with any concerns quickly.

Ask your local environmental health officer and environmental regulator to let you know about any concerns or complaints. You may be able to deal with these complaints before formal action is taken.

If you receive a complaint make sure you:

• keep a record of it
• deal with it promptly and appropriately, and tell the complainer what you have done
• record the results of investigations and any resulting actions
• use the information to improve your procedures and prevent further complaints.

Contact your environmental regulator

Monitor noise levels

You should monitor the noise from your site regularly, when it is fully working and also when it is shut down. This will give you an idea of the impact of your work on noise levels in the surrounding community. Monitoring will also help you identify any change in noise levels.

If you are in any doubt, you should get advice from a noise expert.

Further information

See our guidance on noise, odour and other nuisances in:

England on Business Link: Noise, odour and other nuisances
Northern Ireland on NIBusinessInfo: Noise, odour and other nuisances
Scotland on Business Gateway: Noise, odour and other nuisances
Wales on Business.Wales.gov.uk: Noise, odour and other nuisances

Defra: Noise
SEPA: Noise - summary guidance for PPC applicants (Scotland) (Adobe PDF - 71KB)
Business Link: Dealing with noise and noise pollution
Communities and Local Government: Planning Policy Guidance 24 - Planning and Noise
Scottish Government: Planning Advice Note 56 - Planning and Noise

You may find the following British Standards useful:

• British Standard BS4142 - Method for rating industrial noise affecting mixed residential and industrial areas
• British Standard BS5228 - Noise and vibration control on construction and open sites
• British Standard BS6472 - Guide to evaluation of human exposure to vibration in buildings
• British Standard BS7385 - Evaluation and measurement for vibration in buildings.

These are available from British Standards Online. You can buy copies of the full standards or view summaries by registering on their website.

British Standards Online

Minimise cross-contamination of materials. For example, if you accidentally put plastics or paper into eddy current separators, which separate aluminium and steel magnetically, you can clog and block the machinery, increase noise and vibration and cause expensive damage.