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30
Noise Abatement Act, 1960
Noise has been called the " Symphony of the Machine Age"
and is likely to be a permanent part of our everyday life. Noise
in our environment will affect us all and will include sound energy
from road vehicles, aircraft, industrial and commercial units and
social noise (radios, musical instruments, human and animal
noises).
Industrial noise clearly has a health angle in that it is often
continuous and of considerable intensity and the Health Department
takes appropriate action on complaints of noise arising in
connection with a trade or business. In most cases an informal
approach by the public health inspectors has been met by willing
co-operation on the part of the offenders to seek methods of
abating or lessening the noise and in no case has it been necessary
to serve a notice under the provisions of the above Act.
Noise other than industrial noise, however, is difficult to deal
with, as it is often of an intermittent character. The Act provides
for any three persons aggrieved by a noise nuisance to initiate
action by complaining to a Magistrate.
During the year, 70 complaints were received in the Health
Department and investigated by the public health inspectors, involving
a total of 180 visits. Many complaints related to noise
occurring during the evening, at night, or in the early morning,
which necessitated visits and observations by the inspectors outside
normal office hours; in other cases investigations proved that
little or no justification existed for complaint.
The Noise Abatement Act does not apply to noise caused by
aircraft, or to noise vibration caused by statutory undertakings
in the exercise of their powers. Noise from road vehicles is dealt
with by the Police authorities as an element of road safety rather
than of environmental health control.
It may well be that the legislators of the future might consider
the possibility of " noise control zones " or " silent areas " similar
to the present " smoke control areas
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963
Registration and inspection
During the last six months of the year a separate section of
the Health Department, consisting of one public health inspector
and two technical assistants, was formed to deal specifically
with the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963. The
technical assistants underwent a three to four months' training
period before being allowed to carry out inspections for themselves,
and, as can be seen from the annual figures, this section
has already proved its worth by the greatly increased number of
visits and notices served. Quite obviously, 1969 should be a
" bumper" year as far as this Authority is concerned.