Hear HSE & Industry Specialists at Free Hearing Seminar

Tim Ward

Tim Ward is Principal Specialist Inspector (Noise & Vibration) with the Health & Safety Executive. In this role he provides specialist expertise to other HSE inspectors in carrying out inspections, investigations and enforcement. He also works on the development of improved practice in the control and management of risks from exposure to noise and vibration, often working with industry or other stakeholders, and on ensuring that manufacturers of work equipment meet their legal duties to supply low-noise and low-vibration work equipment. Tim leads on technical policy on noise, contributing to the development of regulations and guidance

Preventing hearing damage at work: Where we are, and what's needed next:

The presentation will be discussing the range of states that employers are in at managing noise risks, the progress that has been made since 1990 and 2006, and the behaviours and practical actions that are needed going forward to achieve prevention of hearing damage.

Professor Wheeler

Peter Wheeler read physics and electronics at Imperial College, subsequently specialising in acoustics and audio signal processing. He holds the degrees of BSc and MSc (London University) and PhD (Southampton University). He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics. He was President of the Institute of Acoustics for 1992-94.

Peter has worked at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at Southampton University, where he established a research group in electroacoustics, hearing technology and audio communications for industry and government departments. He successfully patented and licensed noise cancellation communication products to UK industry, after being featured on "Tomorrow's World" programmes. After serving as a Director of Racal Acoustics Limited, a specialist electroacoustics, avionics and communications company in the Racal Electronics Group, Peter was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Acoustics at Salford University, the other of the two UK University acoustics departments.

Since retiring, Peter has continued to act as advisor to government departments in acoustics and noise, among other activities. He has been active in national, European and international standards development in hearing protection, acoustics and noise for more than thirty years, acting as Chairman of the BSI and ISO committees for hearing protectors and as convenor of standards development groups in CEN TC159.

Peter will draw on his extensive experience to talk about the factors influencing the choice and implementation of hearing protection in the context of the management of noise in the workplace.