New guidance on dust, noise and vibration
NASC, the UK’s leading trade body for scaffolding and access, has recently issued the latest version of SG11 Dust, Vibration & Noise. The previous version was SG11 Noise, but this guidance on noise was updated in 2026 by NASC’s Health & Safety Committee to include the primary hazards and risks of dust and vibration, which can also have devastating effects upon operatives and others in the workplace.
This is a large guidance note, divided into three sections, with an extensive reference section to aid further research and hyperlinks to various HSE and NASC publications to allow .
It is important to note that NASC’s H&S Committee have issued a number of health-related guidance notes, including SG1 COSHH, SG3 Asbestos Awareness, SG6 Manual Handling, SG9 LOLER, SG13 Health Surveillance, SG17 Substance Abuse, and SG38 Mental Health Wellbeing (all titles amended and shortened), and NASC will continue to build on this vital topic.
The five most important messages to take away from this latest version of SG11 are:
- Dust, vibration and noise are serious health hazards, and it is important that employers take an overall view of the hazards/ risks and put in place measures to control all three, as well as ensuring that any personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protective equipment (RPE) required is compatible,
- Suitable risk assessment (RA) is required before work starts, covering dust, vibration and noise exposure to reduce the risks to as low as practicable, the RA of which can be included in the site-specific risk assessment/method statement (RAMS),
- Priority should be given to eliminating or reducing hazards and risks (e.g. design choices, low‑vibration tools, dust extraction, quieter methods),
- Monitor and manage power tool exposure, and use methods such as task rotation, limiting power tool time, and good maintenance to help control exposure.
- Training and supervision are essential, including health surveillance where required, to safeguard the health of your workforce.
NASC will continue to build upon this guidance and will be looking to issue further toolbox talks on health-related issues.
NASC is indebted to the HSE for their input to this guidance note, with two HSE representatives on the H&S committee giving useful feedback from themselves and their colleagues. However, any errors in the guidance will be NASC’s.
