Member Blog

An amendment to Permitted Development Rights (PDR’s) means that as of 6th April 2012 planning permission is no longer required to install Solar PV panels on non-domestic buildings.

Ground mounted systems up to 9m2 will also be able to proceed without planning permission.

As with all permitted development rights the following must be met for Roof Mounted and Ground Mounted systems.

Roof Mounted

The array must not protrude more than 200mm from the surface that it is on i.e. roof slope or wall. If it is a flat roof the solar array must be less than 1m in height above the highest part of the flat roof excluding any chimneys.

The Solar PV must be more than 1m away from the external edge of roof or the joint of the wall that it is on.

If situated on article 1(5) Land (National Park, area of outstanding Natural Beauty, a conservation area etc.) the solar array cannot be mounted on a roof slope or a wall fronting a highway.

Planning permission WILL BE required is the Solar PV is on an existing building, on a building with the cartilage of a listed building or upon a site designated a scheduled ancient monument.

Conditions

The Solar PV equipment must, so far as is practicable, be sited so as to minimise the effect on the external appearance of the building.

The Solar PV equipment must, so far as is practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the amenity of the area and Solar equipment no longer needed for micro-generation must be removed as soon as is practicable.

Ground Mounted

Only solar with a maximum solar surface area of 9m2 can be installed.

Only one ground mounted solar system can be present within the curtilage of any one building.

The solar must not exceed 4m in height.

The Solar must not be installed within 5m of the boundary curtilage.

Planning permission is required if the solar is within the curtilage of a listed building or on a site designated as a scheduled ancient monument.

Conditions

The ground mounted solar must, so far as is practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the amenity of the area and

Ground mounted solar which is no longer needed for micro generation must be removed as soon as is reasonably practicable.

It has never been so important than presently to instigate detailed mechanical and electrical design of services in buildings at an early stage in a project.

Traditionally, M & E design would be undertaken by the main contractor’s appointed consultant or sub-contractor and could be based around a loose performance specification. Now, with the need to assess a building’s energy demand to satisfy current building regulations and the requirement to reduce CO2 emissions, it is a prudent client that agrees to undertake detailed M & E design during the early stages of a project.

The upfront design of building services will enable a specialist energy assessment to be carried out, simulating a building’s energy use and its impact on the environment, which in turn will assist the designer to provide a cost effective solution which satisfies legislation at design stage and negates the need for costly changes during the construction phase.

Careful planning and design of services will ultimately result in a completed building which not only conforms to Building Regulations but also provides the end user with a comfortable and environmentally friendly building, designed for purpose and without the unexpected costs associated with Greenwash*.

*Greenwash: An insincere addition of renewable energy systems to a building as an afterthought without an appropriate feasibility study or careful design process, potentially costly, inefficient and unsuitable for purpose.

I’m a little shamefaced to say that I was a bit of a latecomer to Twitter. For someone who makes a living by being on top of technology, media trends and communication … I really was a bit slow off the blocks.

I knew about Twitter, of course, but had only ever looked at it in passing – and hastily dismissed it as a pointless stream of inconsiquential babble from a group of over self-publicists and narcissits. Who, after all, is interested in the 140 character meanderings of c-list popstars and self-help gurus?

Ouch! Looking back at that statement I hang my head; I am shamed.

I thouht I knew better, categorising myself as an “expert” in social media goings-on – and consigned Twitter to background noise without proper thought or consideration. I am converted and I humble myself at the alter of the almighty Tweet.

Not that I was all wrong, of course (I rarely am as my partner and children will be quick to confirm). There’s a hell of a lot of inconsiquential babble from far too many c-list personalities. But this is the … well, choose your own metaphor as I hesitate to use “scum on the surface” … they may be perfectly nce people in their day jobs – and I don’t have to read their outpourings. But, underneath the, flotsam (nice word, especially when separated from its customary partner) there is a rich vein of usefulness to be tapped into.

Twitter, in fact, rules!

I’m going to digress: a quick definition, just for interest’s sake.

• Flotsam: debris/wreckage found floating on the surface after a shipwreck.
• Jetsam: materials/objects thrown from a ship before or during a shipwreck.

In my mind, this makes Flotsam the swirly rubbish you need to cut through: Jetsam is the valuable stuff, stuff that your floundering mariner considers of worth enough to try to save.

Twitter is a medium that requires you to be a careful scavenger – ignore the Flotsam and salvage the Jetsam.

I first started realising that Twitter had real value when I heard about “PLNs”; Personal Learning Networks. Anything with the word “learning” in tends to prick my interest, so I followed up on these references and found that PLNs referred to the practice of following a group of people in your chosen industry/field in order to learn from what they were tweeting about. I tried it, I loved it. Overnight I found I was getting a steady flow of information and insights that were useful and stimulating for me.

And then I started sharing what I was learning, and adding a few bits of my own until I realised one day that Twitter had become a tool I couldn’t do without. I slowly realised why (this was my “revelatory” moment), Twitter was effective, real-time conversation – and it really benefitted me on a personal and professional level.

The other day I heard, or read, can’t remember where unfortunately, (sorry, information overload is a definite problem and some information slips out without me noticing) the best explanation for why Twitter worked: think of Google as a library – you go there to access archived information, digest it and move on. Think of LinkedIn as it was designed – an online version of offline networking. You go there to hook up with people, share a few opinions on relevant matters and then move on.

Now, think of Twitter as a 19th Century coffe house. This coffee house is filled with professional, intellectuals and artists. There’s a constant flow of traffic in and out of the doors and conversations going in every drection. There’s a table by the window filled with half a dozen people who work in the same trade as you, they’re busy spinning ideas at one another – swapping stories of the latest developments in the industry. They offer you a seat and you join the flow of words and ideas, adding your own where they contribute.

That’s Twitter. Real-time, fast-flowing, easy to sift and categorise (just move tables) and madly exhilarating. Yes, occasionally the air-headed lute and viola star’s conversations from the next table float into your consciousness – but it’s your fault for listening, you can always tune them out!

Twitter is my social media Jetsam – very nearly lost in the sea of information but gladly salvaged. Go on, try a bit of beachcombing of your own.

The author would like to seriously apologise for the overhwelming amount of mixed and jumbled metaphors in this post – but, in truth, is unable too.

Zero Carbon

The DCLG’s Building Regulations consultation covering England only, runs until 27th April 2012 and builds on previous consultations with the aim of moving closer to zero carbon – whilst increasing compliance with regulations and reducing red tape.

Whilst there are clear benefits the proposed changes would decrease the regulatory burden by nearly £64m per year. On the other side, Part L changes will impose costs of £103m for new homes and £101m for non domestic buildings.

Part L: Energy Conservation

Part L looks at reducing carbon and creating the right position for zero carbon for domestic buildings by 2016. It is possible the regulations may firstly focus on the building fabric with proposals for zero carbon performance requirements of 39 kWh/m2/yr for apartment blocks and mid terrace houses with 46 kWh/m2/yr for semi detached and end of terrace. A higher specification may be needed for detached. Consequential improvements, both domestic and non domestic will become law in 2014.

The next stage for non domestic buildings, although further away, will require a 20% boost in building performance. The definition of ‘technically, functionally and economically feasible’ is static at 10% of the principle works costs. The Green Deal is seen as the principle way to upgrade current buildings with the use of over design allowing a margin for error and the creation of publicly available specification with a QA scheme is proposed to improve quality.

The consultation is thorough and has proposals which should be welcomed for the industry.

Comments on the proposals can be made by 27th April 2012:www.communities.gov.uk

The Zero Carbon Hub website:www.zerocarbonhub.org

Find information on The Green Deal atwww.decc.gov.uk

As most employment lawyers will testify, April and October are extremely busy months when it comes to Employment Law Reform. Hopefully you will find the timeline below of use for this year, although in practice this area of law can change literally by the week.

February 2012

We have already had the annual review for various statutory caps, which as usual came into force on 1st February.

The weekly cap for the purposes of redundancy pay has been increased to £430 (from £400) per week. This means that the maximum statutory redundancy entitlement has now increased to £12,900.

The statutory cap for the compensatory award in unfair dismissal claims has also been increased to £72,300 (from £68,400).

March 2012

The new Parental Leave Directive, which increased the right to parental leave to 18 weeks, was due to take effect on March 8th. However, the Government have requested that this be postponed, so this is now likely to take effect in 2013.

April 2012

1) The draft regulations changing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from 1 to 2 years have been published. These will come into force on 6th April. In a nutshell, any employee whose employment commences on or after 6th April 2012 will have to accrue 2 years continuous service before they are eligible to bring a claim for unfair dismissal. Any employee who was employed prior to that date will still only require 1 year’s service.

These regulations will have no effect on discrimination claims, which do not require any period of continuous service.

From a practical perspective if you operate a small business and you are considering recruitment of staff, it may make sense to defer the start date until 6th April if your business can cope in the mean time.

2) Statutory Maternity Pay will increase to £135.45 per week. Statutory Sick Pay will increase to £85.85 per week.

3) Various amendments to Employment Tribunal Procedure will be introduced. These will include an increased number of cases being heard by a Single Judge, maximum costs awards against a losing party increasing to £20,000 (this is currently £10,000) and deposits being increased from £500 to £1000.

October 2012

1) The new workplace pension provisions will be introduced for larger employers. Auto enrolment will be phased in dependant on the size of the employer. The rules are quite involved and there is ultimately no substitute for taking advice upon your own position. However, hopefully the attached link will provide some useful background information.

2) The current rates for minimum wage may be re-visited, although this is likely to be dependent on the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission, whose report is likely to be published in April.

Other possible developments

1. Consultation on a rapid resolution scheme for simple/low value claims.
2. Regulation to simplify the requirements for compromise agreements.
3. Mandatory conciliation via ACAS on all Tribunal claims.

WATCH THIS SPACE…

At the Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced the formation of an industry-led taskforce to explore how to develop non-bank lending. Views have been gathered to contribute to the taskforce from 100+ respondents to the review’s call for evidence and from seven regional and technical workshops the taskforce has held with businesses and market participants. This covered information on, and experiences of, the barriers to non-bank lending, and a range of ideas and insights into how they might be tackled.

Thetaskforce’s report recommends areas where industry can act to stimulate andexpand alternative finance markets and where there are actions for Government totake. The Government agreed with the analysis set out in the report, welcomes thecommitment shown by those named in the report in taking forward therecommendations, and commits to work with businesses and the broader financecommunity to address these important objectives.

Details of the full report:

‘Heads of Terms’ is the document generally drawn up by the Landlord’s agent prior to the letting of a commercial property. Whilst the terms are not binding until incorporated into a lease, it can save you both time and money to get them right first time around.

10. Right Property right price!

Before you enter into negotiations consider whether the property is right for you. Speak to a surveyor to make sure you are not paying over the odds for a property in that location. Also make sure that the Landlord and the local planning regulations permit you to use the property for your desired use.

9. Term

When negotiating on the length of a lease term you should assume that you will be liable for the entire term. It sounds obvious, but do you really want to be committed to pay rent in the property for the next 10 years, whether or not your business is doing well?

8. Costs

Landlords will sometimes request that you pay their legal fees for entering into a lease with you. This is not something you have to agree to and is a matter for negotiation.

7. Guarantors

A Landlord may request a guarantor to the lease, especially where the tenant is a limited company. A guarantor will guarantee a tenant’s performance of a lease and is liable on the same basis as the tenant. As the old saying goes ‘ A Guarantor is a fool with a pen!’.

6. Rent Deposit

Landlords will often request a deposit upon commencement of a lease to cover the possibility of a tenant default. Consider whether you wish to negotiate that such a deposit is released before the end of the lease e.g. after 3 years or when you can provide accounts showing annual turnover three times greater than the rent.

5. Break Clause

Do you want the ability to bring your lease to an end early? By including a break clause you can have the right to do so at specified times during the term of your lease.

4. Alienation

Are there going to be any restrictions to your ability to ‘sell’ or ‘dispose of’ the lease? Leases often include restrictions that do so, which could make it very difficult to dispose of your lease should you wish to do so before the term has ended.

3. Security of tenure

Leases for business purposes generally attract ‘security of Tenure’ under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. ‘Security of Tenure’ means that you have an automatic right to renew your lease at the end of its current term (subject to some exceptions) should you wish to. Check whether your lease going to be excluded from these provisions or not.

2. Repair

This is the most important element of negotiations to get right. Decide whether you are happy to have an open ended obligation to put a property back into repair (whether or not it was in repair when the leases starts) or whether you would like the obligation limited by reference to a schedule of condition

1. Finally

Consult a solicitor before agreeing the heads of term. Would you decide what medical treatment to have before consulting a doctor?!

The very nature of business demands we are all familiar with brands, but what are they? What are brands actually capable of? And in what ways can an effective brand benefit a business?

What is a brand? A brand is much more than just a logo. Aside from a logo or trademark, a brand is a tone of voice, a method of work, a visual identity and an ethos. It stands for the tangible aspects of the company, the product they create or the service they provide and the less tangible aspects – the ethos, aspirations and heritage of the company. A strong brand unifies every aspect of a company into a single cohesive, recognisable and, above all, memorable entity. Visually, a brand covers more conventional applications, found across a range of printed products, signage, advertising, packaging, digital applications and the product itself. But branding also applies to how an employee answers the phone, the way in which the company is managed, and where its offices are located.

A brand is an essential part of any business, large or small, regardless of the industry in question. It represents the culture of a business, the way in which a company works, what makes them truly unique.

What can a brand do for you? There truly are no limits to a successful brand. Regardless of the size of a company, from sole trader to corporate multinational, an effective brand can be a useful tool in generating and, crucially, sustaining business. A brand offers more than the product or service on sale; a brand offers existing and potential customers meaning, a helping hand in making the decision between one company and another offering a similar service.Having a cohesive brand identity allows you to increase company recognition, more closely associate yourself with the service or product you provide, and more readily be chosen by potential clients.

In the short term, a brand can help you stand out in a crowded market place, offering an introduction to customers. In the long term, a brand can unify the focus of your company, provide stability, encourage loyalty and act as a basis for future growth.

What have brands done for others? An effective brand is a powerful asset to businesses, provoking instant recognition of the service or product in question. In 1982, Nike, one of the world’s most successful brands, launched the Air Force One, one of the world’s best selling sneakers. So far, so normal. But Nike managed to do this without spending any money on conventionally advertising the shoe. Instead, they relied on a highly recognisable brand identity, celebrity endorsement and a quality product. Both brand and shoe have been embraced by generations and, though the basic silhouette of the Air Force One has remained largely unchanged, it is hugely popular to this day. As far as a return on their investment in branding is concerned, the Air Force One is estimated to earn Nike in excess of $800 million a year worldwide.

Apple is the world’s most powerful brand, with fortunes in excess of $80 billion (incidentally, that’s more money than the US Government). Though perhaps an obvious example, Apple has created a brilliantly rigorous example of a strong brand identity, attached to all the products they create. While a vast number of customers buy from Apple based on the quality and functionality of their products, many more buy into the appearance and aspirational nature of the brand. It is the very ethos of the company that many seek to purchase. Such is the power of the Apple brand that hundreds of impersonations have appeared, and not just in the field of consumer electronics. iChoc anyone?

The power of branding isn’t exclusive to global companies Closer to home, Sportspark, the East of England’s premier sports complex, benefits from a highly recognisable brand identity. An engaging and flexible identity helps Sportspark to attract new customers and retain existing users. The brand identity informs all Sportspark communications – it leads the advertising campaign and is at the very heart of each key message.

With the Olympic games imminent, the membership Sportscards become medals, denoting the three levels of benefit and ensuring Sportspark is synonymous with a headline-grabbing event. Clean graffiti was used to launch the brand and made local news, gaining further exposure for Sportspark. Around the complex, staff uniforms, interior and exterior signage and printed literature all carry the Sportspark brand, creating a cohesive visual identity across all consumer touchpoints. As a result of this investment in creating and promoting a strong and considered brand identity, Sportspark has seen an increase in new memberships and overall income at a time when the overall sports and leisure industry contracted.

The Sportspark brand communications was shortlisted as one of the UK’s best marketing campaigns in 2011 at the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Marketing Excellence Awards. This is testament that successful and effective brand identities aren’t only for the big boys.

In short, an effective brand can be a great asset to a business. A logo that makes people think, a friendly and professional voice on the other end of the telephone, even the tactile paper on which a letter is printed contributes to the success of a brand and, as a result, to the success of a company or organisation.

Bobby Burrage is a Norfolk Chamber board member and creative director at a leading branding agency in the East of England. Bobby works with a diverse range of clients, from entrepreneurial start-ups to established multi-national organisations, across a range of sectors.

It was alarming to read that there has been a growth in the number of businesses targetted by bogus enforcement officers.

As an ex Health and Safety Enforcer- at the time i would wonder why anyone would pretend to be one of them!! but it does give you an ‘access all areas’ pass intoa businesspremises

So the advice is simple- who ever comes knocking on your door- please do check their ID

All real Inspectors will carry ID with a signature and a number to check that they are who they say they are

An Enforcement Officer whether from the Health and Safety Excutive of from the Local Authority has the right of access at any reasonable time; to talk to any member of staff, to check any records and to check the premises- you must know eho you are letting into your business

They will not generally tring up and make appointments; so be wary if you do recive a call- always ask for the name, the reason for the visit and a contact number- so you can check that they are who they say they are

There have been recent cases of businesses making appointments with person who say they are from the HSEand are in fact unscrupulous consultants!

The cloud is nothing new, but in recent years its importance to business has become much more evident and is being embraced by both small and large enterprises.

The decision to adopt cloud computing facilities by businesses can throw up a number of questions that wouldn’t necessarily be faced if you were looking at more traditional software solutions.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is an all-encompassing term and refers to a number of differing computing processes rolled into a centrally accessed source. In essence the cloud is a central computing resource handling such things as authentication, processing, data storage and networking.

Although the cloud may have the appearance of being a single central system, it is actually a distributed set of servers often operating in differing geographic locations.

The cloud is accessed over the Internet by end users through computers, mobile phones, tablets etc. The end user is therefore acting as a “dumb-terminal” which consumes resources from the cloud. You have probably already accessed cloud applications if you have used services such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail.

Application providers write software that can be run using cloud resources and accessed by their clients, this is known as Software as a Service (SaaS), examples include Salesforce.com, Office365 and Basecamp. Additionally, application vendors may write software that is delivered to their users though an Application Programming Interface (API) such as Google Maps.

A business may subscribe to these applications or perhaps utilise the cloud itself to write their own bespoke software, either way, end users will usually pay only for the services they use.

What are the benefits of cloud computing?

• Add capacity, without additional infrastructure, licensing or training Since the cloud is made up of any number of separate servers it’s easy to expand, or reduce the servers available to run a particular task, usually with no noticeable impact on the running systems. This process can often be automated to allow for peaks in usage.
• Access applications from anywhere Users can access applications from desktop computers, servers, mobile phones, tablets or even through a TV set.
• Inexpensive user hardware The heavy processing is achieved using cloud resources so business costs are reduced since only basic end user hardware is required.
• Licensing and management simplified There is no need to pay for expensive operating systems, licenses for software or a big IT team, the costs of these are rolled into the overall cost of the service.
• Reliability Availability is improved since cloud hardware is self-correcting, so if a piece of hardware in the cloud fails there will normally be another replacement piece that will automatically take over that task.
• Multi-tenanted applications allow for sharing of resources and costs It’s not necessary for a business to pay for software development and hardware, they are one of many businesses utilising the same application and hardware for the same task.
• Green There is often an environmental benefit to using cloud systems. Only the resources required for the task are consuming power, whereas traditionally if a server was running an application, such as your company email, it may be underutilised if your requirements are low.

Why should I avoid cloud computing?

• Privacy and Security The overriding concern of many businesses is the security of the cloud. If the cloud goes offline, and there have been instances of providers being offline for many hours recently, then this can have a more significant effect on operations than a single server going down. Businesses should also ask themselves who owns their data stored in the cloud, could the providers prevent access to that data?
• Customisation The benefit of a shared application can be attractive, but if you need to make modifications to the application to accommodate your particular business requirement this can prove costly, if at all possible.
• Connectivity If you lose connectivity to the Internet you won’t be able to access your cloud systems. This can be a particular problem if you are in rural areas or using mobile devices.

What does the future hold?

Industry experts see the future of business computing leveraging the power of cloud computing not only for the cost benefits but also for improving collaboration, outsourced IT expertise and centralising data.

The Cabinet Office has recently developed their own G-Cloud procurement strategy whereby application providers write cloud based systems for consumption by government departments. The hope is that these departments will move away from buying many similar silo based systems from multiple providers and instead source smaller, more flexible software from specialist providers.

With IT giants such as Microsoft, IBM, HP and Amazon firmly adopting the cloud it’s clear that this technology is not simply a passing fad but will be the way businesses of tomorrow, as well as today, will manage their IT, infrastructures and staff.

According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), everyone should have a sight test at least once every two years.

But a recent survey by YouGov showed that nearly a third of UK adults have failed to have their eyes tested in the last 24 months, putting themselves at risk of developing a range of potentially serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma.

Dr Joseph Feder, a board-certified ophthalmologist at the Aurora Health Center, said: “Not all age-related eye conditions are routine. At every eye exam, we are on the look-out for potentially devastating eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration (AMD). These diseases often begin ‘silently’ and, if left untreated, can cause blindness.”

And Clara Eaglen, Policy and Campaigns Manager at the RNIB, said: “Our eye sight can deteriorate as we get older, but sight loss isn’t an inevitable consequence of ageing. There are things people can do to protect their vision.

“Wearing the right prescription glasses or contact lenses is essential and regular eye tests, at least every two years, can pick up conditions such as AMD or glaucoma.”

So why are people avoiding regular sight tests? YouGov’s research claims that it’s down to a number of factors, including the cost. Fourteen per cent of the 2,102 British adults questioned admitted they delay getting their eyes tested because they cannot afford the perceived cost.

Under the Health and Safety Executive Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992, in a workplace where staff habitually use display screen equipment such as computers, employers must provide eye tests on request and, in some cases, provide special glasses, too.

Westfield Health’s Chamber Primary Health Plan, which is available to all members of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, includes an optical benefit, which can help employers to meet their requirements. Employees can manage their eye care, booking sight tests at their own convenience and claiming back the cost of their tests and prescription eyewear up to the limit provided.

For more information about the Chamber Plan, visit www.westfieldhealth.com/chamber or call 0845 602 1629, available 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Every employer has a duty to protect employees and others who may be exposed to noise generated as a result of his work activities and should be working on measures to reduce the risk. The law “Control of Noise at WorkRegulations 2005” says that an employer has to find out what levels of noise individuals are exposed to and assess the risk to their hearing.

Symptoms and early signs of hearing loss

• Conversation becomes difficult or impossible
• An individual’s family complains about the television being too loud
• You have trouble using the telephone
• You find it difficult to catch sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘s’, so you confuse similar words

Permanent tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears) can also be caused.

One can also suffer instant damage from very loud or explosive noises.

Generally hearing loss is gradual. By the time you notice it, it is probably too late.

Everyone should want to prevent hearing loss before it happens.

Every employer has a duty to protect employees and others who may be exposed to noise generated as a result of his work activities and should be working on measures to reduce the risk. The law “Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005” says that an employer has to find out what levels of noise individuals are exposed to and assess the risk to their hearing.

Particular industries and jobs most likely to produce intrusive, potentially damaging noise include:

• Construction
• Demolition or road repair
• Woodworking
• Plastics processing
• Engineering
• Textile manufacture
• General fabrication
• Forging, pressing or stamping
• Paper or board making
• General industrial food processing, mixing, mincing, canning or bottling etc.
• Foundries

Employers should be taking measures to minimise and control where possible noise at source such as:

• Ensuring all tools and noise generating processes equipment are serviced and maintained to manufacturer’s standards and specification.

Employees should make sure to use properly any noise control devices (eg noise enclosures), and follow any working methods that are put in place, wear appropriate hearing protection provided, wear it properly (you should be trained how to do this), and make sure you wear it all the time when you are doing noisy work, and when you are in hearing protection areas. Taking it off even for a short while means that your hearing could still be damaged. Remember that there is no cure for deafness.

HSE’s leaflet – Noise at Work: guidance for employers INDG – 362 advises on good practice and what can be done to minimize the risks and inherent dangers to hearing for anyone exposed to noise from work activities.

‘Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0’.