Photocopiers - are they OK?

[Mosaic]

Visited a friend at work and I don't know how he does it. He shares a room with a couple of very noisy photocopiers that are going all the time. Made me wonder if this amount of noise could be harmful - my ears were ringing afterwards and I was only there for 45 mins. Anyone else got experience of this?

[emmie]

won't be good in the longer term, all that noise, i have tinnitus which i reckon has been caused in part by too loud noise. Working in an office with machines going, people chattering, phones beeping, gets on your bloody wick quite frankly, and in the end you are glad to leave it all behind

[EvianBaby]

Photocopiers are nothing compared to the noise in some of the places I go for work. I can't stand in them for 5 minutes but the guys who work there just get used to it. Although some do wear ear plugs or have headphones on.

[Mosaic]

I've been in a weaving shed owned watching stuff being done for John Lewis, and they had dispensers of ear plugs that looked like tiny blue bean bags. They stopped the noise but no way could you answer a phone wearing them.

[Sqad]

Interesting question....there is and has been for the past 25yrs or so legislation for noise induced hearing loss(N.I.H.L) depending upon the decibel levels and the time that one is exposed. Compensation claims have run into the billions over the past 20 years or so against companies which have not provided ear defenders.....e.g mine workers etc.

If you had tinnitus after 45 mins, then that would indicate that the noise levels were excessive and that ear providers should have been available.

[Mosaic]

Sqad - many thanks - and fascinating. I wonder how they're getting away with it at his place.

[abstibus]

I think I would be very concerned about the dust and possible chemicals.

[Sqad]

Mosiac.........to comply with the legislation, all the company need to do is to provide the ear defenders............whether the employees wear them, is up to them.

[tonyav]

I have worked in industry all my working life, when i first left school and started work if you wanted ear defenders you had to ask for them. Then that changed and you were supplied with them anyway ( but pretty much left up to yourself if you wore them or not ). These days you are supplied with them and are fully expected to wear them ( and may well expect the occasional rollicking if caught not wearing them ).

[invisiblelady]

I work in a tiny office with no window. For years the photocopier was in my office. I used to suffer from headaches regularly which I hadn't done before. I also used to go home with a chemical like taste in my mouth. One day we had a Health and Safety visit (of which we had had plenty before) and in the report it instructed that the machine must be moved to a different room. I avent had a headache since!