1. Context

1.1 Regulatory context (European directives)

European regulations on industrial noise are based mainly on two directives: the Machinery Directive (Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 17, 2006 on machinery and amending Directive 95/16/EC), which applies to machinery manufacturers, and the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive (2003/10/EC), which applies to employers.

The Machinery Directive regulates all aspects of health hazards, including those related to noise; when designing a machine, this issue must be taken into account so that it generates the lowest noise level technically possible. Noise emission values must also be declared in the machine's instruction manual. These data are useful to users of machines covered by...