Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is permanent and irreversible: once the tiny hair cells in the inner ear are damaged by excessive noise, they do not grow back. On SA sites, constant exposure to jackhammers, angle grinders, concrete saws and power tools can stack up across a career and only become obvious as noticeable hearing loss in your 40s or 50s. The permissible exposure limit stays 85 dB(A) over an 8-hour shift, and there is a new compliance deadline in 2026 you should know about.
The regulations are changing in 2026
For years the rules sat under the Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Regulations 2003. South Africa published the new Noise Exposure Regulations 2024 in Government Gazette 52226 on 6 March 2025. The transition is the bit to diarise:
- The old 2003 regulations stay in force until 6 September 2026.
- The new 2024 regulations bite after 6 September 2026. Employers should be moving their noise programmes across to the new requirements before that date.
What the limits actually say, corrected to the new picture:
- The 85 dB(A) over an 8-hour shift exposure limit stays the same. This is the level at or above which a full hearing-conservation programme applies.
- 82 dB(A) is a new, lower action level that applies only to combined exposure, meaning noise together with ototoxic chemicals (solvents and certain substances that harm hearing) and/or whole-body vibration. It is not a new across-the-board limit for everyone.
- For sudden, explosive noise (a nail gun misfiring near the ear, for example), the impulse or peak action level is 135 dB(C) and the limit is 137 dB(C).
The Department of Employment and Labour publishes the regulations and guidance at www.labour.gov.za. Because the date 6 September 2026 marks the changeover, re-check the live position there before relying on any single figure.
Medical surveillance: what must happen
Whether under the old or new regulations, audiometric testing follows the same shape:
- Pre-placement baseline. A test before you start noisy work, so future loss can be measured against it.
- Annual surveillance. A test every year while you are exposed.
- Exit audiogram. A test when you leave the job or the project.
If you are self-employed, nobody arranges this for you. Book your own annual hearing check with an occupational medicine practitioner; ask your nearest public occupational health clinic, or contact the NIOH at www.nioh.ac.za.
Hearing protection and the order of controls
PPE is the last line, not the first. The correct order is to eliminate or engineer out the noise first (quieter equipment, acoustic screens, barriers), then use administrative controls (job rotation, scheduled quiet periods), and only then reach for hearing protection. Employers must provide SABS-approved hearing protection, sign noisy zones and run the audiometric testing above. Types of protection:
- Foam earplugs, single-use, fine for most tasks.
- Pre-moulded plugs, reusable.
- Earmuffs, good for intermittent noise.
- Dual protection (plugs and muffs) for the loudest work, above about 100 dB(A).
How a COIDA hearing-loss claim works
Worked example. Jason is a 52-year-old welder and fabricator who develops hearing loss in both ears, confirmed by an audiologist. His employer is registered with the Compensation Fund. The steps:
- Jason's doctor diagnoses occupational NIHL and completes a WCL4, the medical report.
- The employer completes a WCL2, the employer's report of an occupational disease, and submits it to the Compensation Fund.
- The Fund may ask for further audiometric testing.
- If accepted, Jason is compensated based on the percentage of permanent disability, worked out against a hearing-disability schedule.
- Medical expenses, including hearing aids, may also be covered.
File claims at cfonline.labour.gov.za or call 0860 105 350. The exact NIHL disability tables are set by the Compensation Commissioner and updated from time to time, so verify the current schedule at www.labour.gov.za before relying on any specific amount.
Common mistakes
- Believing 82 dB(A) is the new limit for everyone. It is not. The 85 dB(A) limit stays; 82 dB(A) is an action level for combined exposure only.
- Quoting 140 dB(C) for peak noise. That was the old figure. The current impulse limit is 137 dB(C), with an action level of 135 dB(C).
- Missing the 6 September 2026 changeover. Employers who leave their noise programme on the 2003 regulations risk being non-compliant once the 2024 regulations take over.
- Going solo without baseline audiometry. With no baseline, a future claim is far harder to prove. Book one.
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