Noise Surveys for Sawmills and Wood Products Plants

Sawmills are among the loudest industrial environments in British Columbia. We measure exposure across the mill floor with full-shift dosimetry so your hearing conservation program rests on real numbers, not assumptions.

Noise measurement on site by Clear Work in forestry and wood products

Registered Nurses

Certified Industrial Audiometric Technicians

Occupational Health Compliance Programs

Fully Licensed & Insured

BBB Accredited

100+ BC Employers Served

Why Noise Measurement Matters in Mills

In a Mill, the Question Is Not Whether It Is Loud. It Is How Loud, and Where.

Everyone in a sawmill knows it is a high-noise workplace. What is usually missing is the detail: which positions exceed the limit, by how much, and whether the protection issued is actually rated for it. Typical mill noise sources include:

Headrigs, edgers, trimmers and resaws
Chippers, hogs and debarkers
Planers and moulders
Blowers, cyclones and pneumatic conveying
Kiln fans and compressed air

Section 7.2 sets two exposure limits, and an employer must ensure workers are not exposed above either one: an 85 dBA Lex daily noise exposure level, and a 140 dBC peak sound level. The first is an average across the working day; the second is a single loud event, measured at its peak.

Under section 7.3(1), an employer must measure worker noise exposure where a worker is or may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of noise, or where information indicates exposure may exceed 82 dBA Lex. That sits below the 85 dBA Lex limit — the duty to measure starts before you are over the line.

There is an alternative, and we would rather tell you about it than not. Section 7.4 removes the duty to measure where the employer, based on other information, identifies the worker as being exposed in excess of an exposure limit and establishes an effective noise control and hearing conservation program for that worker. Note what that costs: it is an evidence-based identification rather than a free election, and the program it commits you to includes engineered noise control, not just hearing tests and earplugs. Measuring is worth it when you want to know who is genuinely below the limits, size hearing protection to the actual level, or show an officer real numbers instead of an assumption.

One limitation we would rather state up front: full-shift dosimetry establishes daily exposure against the 85 dBA Lex limit. Impact noise measured against the 140 dBC peak limit is a separate question, and we will tell you which of the two a given survey addresses.

For the wider picture, we set out the WorkSafeBC hearing testing and noise requirements in full, straight from the regulation.

Request a Quote

call

Explore Workplace Services

Noise dosimeter fitted to a worker in forestry and wood products

What's Included

What a Mill Noise Survey Gives You

Full-shift personal dosimetry and area readings, using methods based on CSA Standard Z107.56, with calibration recorded and results documented for your program file.

Full-Shift Dosimetry

Personal noise dosimeters worn across a real working shift, so the numbers reflect the job as it is actually done.

Area Mapping

Sound level meter readings across the site, so you can decide where hearing protection is needed and where signs should go if section 7.7 applies to you.

Documented Results

Measured levels, the sampling method, and field calibration records. Section 7.9(c) requires you to keep the results of noise measurements taken under 7.3 — we give you those results in a form you can keep.

Why Partner With Us

Why BC Mills Choose Clear Health Group

We already run on-site hearing testing at mills and wood products plants across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, so we arrive understanding shift patterns, production pressure, and that nobody is stopping the line for us. Noise measurement is part of the wider workplace noise survey service we run across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

Request a Quote

call

View Workplace Services

Sizing Protection to the Measurement

Section 7.7 requires hearing protection meeting CSA Standard Z94.2 where noise cannot practicably be reduced to the exposure limits. Z94.2 itself is what sets out protector classes and how to select between them, and that selection turns on the measured level. Measurement lets you make that choice on evidence rather than defaulting to the most protective option for everyone.

Built Around the Mill, Not the Office

We sample across the shifts and positions that actually drive exposure — green end, dry end, planer, cleanup — rather than taking one reading and extrapolating across the site.

Clear Work mobile occupational health van parked at a worksite

5.0

Average Rating

100

BC Employers Served

dBA Lex

One Trigger For The Duty To Measure

Where We Work

Provincial Coverage. Local Service.

Clear Health Group delivers mobile occupational health and RN-led home services across British Columbia - including the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, and the BC Interior. Our team travels directly to worksites and homes, eliminating the need for clinic visits.

Currently serving major BC municipalities including:

Book Mobile Service in Your Area

arrow_outward

What Employers Across BC Say About Us

Clear Health Group supports employers with reliable, structured mobile health services designed to simplify compliance and reduce operational disruption. Families trust our RN-led team for professional in-home care delivered with consistency and clinical oversight.

We recently used Clear Health Group for our company-wide annual hearing testing and respirator fit testing across two locations and two days. … Seamless and professional.

Verified Google Review

They showed up to our jobsite in Duncan, on time and were well prepared for our team to have their fit tests done on site.

Verified Google Review

Wonderful experience! Noah was lovely to coordinate with and the testing experience was seamless for our team! Would happily book again for our next test. Cheers!

Bodhin Kidd

We got our mask fitting tests done by Amy. Both the service and attitude were excellent! Will definitely call them again for other services!

Fa R-O

Great experience with Noah and Catherine. Showing up on time, very professional and on track for the schedule.

Fady Moussa

Definitely good at their job. Noah and Amy were at our construction job site and did a good job for testing. Helped all our crew on site.

Tanveer Singh

Happy to have booked with Clear Work. Noah & Nina were fast, easy to work with, and readily available. 5/5!

Jason Mitchell

ClearHealth is fantastic. Very accommodating and Noah is an absolute pleasure. Very friendly, quick services, very efficient! Highly recommend.

Brenda Cox

Friendly, professional and accommodating team! Pleasure to work with.

Danny Desousa

A great on-site hearing test experience. Katherine was kind, professional, and made the process quick and comfortable.

Vijay Kethan

Overall it was a wonderful experience for the test. Very professional and good consultation regarding hearing loss prevention.

Lovepreet Singh

Ammy took my hearing test and it was an awesome experience. She was very professional, kind, and explained everything clearly. The test was done smoothly and I felt comfortable the entire time. I truly appreciate her patience and excellent service. Highly recommended!

Bipanpreet Singh

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from sawmills and wood products employers about noise measurement.

arrow_outward

Are sawmill noise levels high enough to need dual hearing protection?

arrow_forward_ios

That depends on the measured level. Section 7.7 requires hearing protection meeting CSA Standard Z94.2 where noise cannot practicably be reduced to the exposure limits; the protector classes, and the guidance on when layered protection is appropriate, come from Z94.2 itself rather than from the regulation. Either way the input is a measured level, which is what a survey gives you, instead of applying the most conservative assumption to everyone in the building.

Do we legally have to do a noise survey?

arrow_forward_ios

Section 7.3(1) requires you to measure noise exposure where a worker is or may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of noise, or where information indicates exposure may exceed 82 dBA Lex. Section 7.4 offers an alternative: you may skip measurement if you instead treat those workers as over-exposed and establish an effective noise control and hearing conservation program for them. Measuring is the route that tells you who is actually below the limit.

How long does a survey take?

arrow_forward_ios

Personal dosimetry is a full-shift measurement, so a survey day brackets a whole working shift — we fit dosimeters at shift start and collect them at the end. Area readings are taken in between. A single site is usually one day; an operation spread across several sites is scoped and quoted accordingly.

Who is allowed to perform noise measurement in BC?

arrow_forward_ios

The regulation sets no certification requirement for the person measuring. What it does require, under section 7.3(2), is that the measurement be carried out in accordance with CSA Standard Z107.56. The method is regulated, not the job title — which is why you should ask any provider how they sample, not just who they are.

Do we still need hearing tests if we have a survey?

arrow_forward_ios

Yes, for workers exposed above the limits. Section 7.8 requires a test within six months of starting work and at least once every 12 months after that, administered by a hearing tester authorized by the Board. The survey is what tells you which workers that applies to.

Book a Noise Survey for Your Mill

Tell us the mill, the shift pattern, and the areas you want covered, and we will scope it. We reply within 1 business hour.

Request a Quote

event

Call (888) 886-1210

Book a workplace noise survey for forestry and wood products