Restaurants can be loud—very loud. In Victoria and NSW, 85 dBA is the end of the WorkCover safe limit at which workers can complete an eight-hour day without wearing ear protection. Compare this to loud, noisy restaurants where customers and staff are regularly exposed to levels above this limit.

The dynamic nature of construction sites adds to the challenge of meeting the Model Work Health and Safety Regulations and Code of Practice for Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work which have been adopted in most Australian jurisdictions.

The Model Regulations require employers or “persons conducting a business or undertaking” to meet the noise standard through a “hierarchy” of controls.