New noise regulations: What do they mean?

Noise and vibration are among the most common – and most underestimated – occupational health hazards in South African workplaces. In March 2025, the Department of Employment and Labour took a decisive step to strengthen protection for workers with the promulgation of the Physical Agents Regulations, 2024 and the Noise Exposure Regulations, 2024, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

From manufacturing and construction to logistics and agriculture, prolonged exposure continues to place workers at risk of permanent hearing loss, musculoskeletal damage and long-term health complications.

The new regulations aim to reduce these risks and, although they will only fully replace existing rules in September, employers would be wise to act now, say Kate Collier and Kalene Watson from law firm Webber Wentzel. You can access their brief on the topic here: www.webberwentzel.com/News/Pages/recent-amendments-to-the-occupational-health-and-safety-act-new-regulations.aspx.

A stronger, more integrated regulatory approach

The new regulations consolidate and modernise requirements previously scattered across older legislation. Noise and vibration are now firmly positioned as “physical agents” that must be actively identified, measured and controlled.

A key shift is the emphasis on documented, ongoing risk management. Employers are required to conduct formal risk assessments at least every two years, carried out by competent persons. Where exposure may exceed action levels or occupational exposure limits, employers must implement structured monitoring programmes, medical screening and medical surveillance.

Importantly, the regulations introduce the concept of “vulnerable employees” – workers who may be at increased risk due to pre-existing conditions, concurrent exposures or job tasks. This reinforces the need for a more individualised approach to occupational health, rather than a one-size-fits-all compliance exercise.

Understanding the health risks

Excessive noise exposure remains a leading cause of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which is permanent, irreversible and often gradual. Vibration exposure, whether hand-arm vibration (HAV) from tools or whole-body vibration (WBV) from vehicles and machinery, is associated with circulatory disorders, nerve damage, lower back pain and fatigue.

The new regulations make clear that combined exposures matter. Concurrent exposure to noise, vibration and ototoxic (toxic to the ear) chemicals can significantly increase health risks, placing additional responsibility on employers to assess real-world working conditions rather than isolated hazards.

Applying the hierarchy of controls

Both the Physical Agents Regulations and the Noise Exposure Regulations reinforce the hierarchy of controls as the foundation of effective protection.

• Elimination and substitution should always be considered first. This may include redesigning processes, changing work methods or selecting quieter, lower-vibration equipment at the procurement stage.
• Engineering controls remain critical. Examples include acoustic enclosures, vibration-damping mounts, equipment isolation, improved maintenance regimes and the use of anti-vibration handles or seating.
• Administrative controls help reduce exposure duration and intensity. Job rotation, restricted access to high-noise zones, clear demarcation of noise areas and planned rest periods all play an important role.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hearing protection devices and anti-vibration gloves, should be treated as a last line of defence – not the primary control. The regulations make it clear that PPE must be suitable, properly fitted, maintained and consistently used.

Monitoring, training and record-keeping

The new framework significantly strengthens requirements for monitoring, training and record-keeping. Noise and vibration measurements must be representative of actual exposure and repeated at prescribed intervals. Medical screening must be conducted by competent practitioners, including audiometry where noise exposure exists.

Training is no longer a once-off activity: employers must provide annual refresher training, ensuring workers understand exposure risks, control measures and their own role in protecting their health. All related records, meanwhile – from risk assessments to medical surveillance – must be retained for up to 40 years, underscoring the long-term liability associated with occupational health failures.

Acting now, not later

Although the full repeal of older regulations will only take effect later this year, the message for South African employers is simple: early implementation is far safer, cheaper and more ethical than reactive compliance. By embedding robust noise and vibration controls today, organisations can protect their workforce while avoiding the operational and legal costs of inaction tomorrow.