No L 137/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 5. 86 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 12 May 1986 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to noise at work (86/188/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, drawn up after consulting the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work (') ; Having regard to the opinion of the European Parli- ament (3, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (°), Whereas the Council resolutions of 29 June 1978 and 27 February 1984 on action programmes of the European Communities on safety and health at work (*) provide for the implementation of specific harmonized procedures for the protection of workers exposed to noise ; whereas the measures adopted in this field vary from State to State and it is recognized that they urgently need to be approx- imated and improved ; Whereas exposure to high noise levels is encountered in a large number of situations and therefore many workers are exposed to a potential safety and health hazard; Whereas a reduction of exposure to noise reduces the risk of hearing impairment caused by noise ; (") OJ No C 289, 5. 11. 1982, p. 1; O] No C 214, 14. 8. 1984, p. 11. () OJ No C 46, 20. 2. 1984, p. 130 ; OJ No C 117, 30. 4. 1984, p.- 5. () OJ No C 23, 30. 1. 1984, p. 36. (*) OJ No C165,11.7.1978,p.1;0] No C 67, 8. 3. 1984, p. 2. Whereas, where the noise level at the workplace involves a risk for the health and safety of workers, limiting expo- sure to noise reduces that risk without prejudice to the applicable provisions on the limitation of noise emission ; Whereas the most effective way of reducing noise levels at work is to incorporate noise prevention measures into the design of installations and to choose materials, procedures and working methods which produce less noise ; whereas the priority aim must be to achieve the said reduction at source ; Whereas the provision and use of personal ear protectors is a necessary complementary measure to the reduction of noise at source, where exposure cannot reasonably be avoided by other means; Whereas noise is an agent to which Council Directive 80/1107/EEC of 27 November 1980 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work (°) applies ; whereas Articles 3 and 4 of the said Directive provide for the possibility of laying down limit values and other special measures in respect of the agents being considered ; Whereas certain technical aspects must be defined and may be reviewed in the light of experience and progress made in the technical and scientific field; Whereas the current situation in the Member States does not make it possible to fix a noise-exposure value below which there is no longer any risk to workers’ hearing ; () OJ No L 327, 3. 12. 1980, p. 8.