Noise and Machine Risks in Weaving Mills

Weaving mill safety: a risk map

Weaving mill safety revolves around two basic problems arising from dozens of looms running at once in a single hall: noise that affects everyone at the same time, and machine risks repeated at every loom. Added to these are drawing-in and warping work in the preparation department, handling warp beams and fabric rolls, and cotton dust and lint build-up. Within Bursa's long-established textile industry, weaving businesses range from newly built modern halls to small workshops in old buildings; the weight of the risks varies with the type of loom and the layout of the hall.

First, clarify your hazard class. In the NACE Rev.2.1 list renewed in 2025, 13.20.16 Cotton weaving is in the hazardous class. If you weave wool, synthetic or technical fabrics, check your code individually; the class determines many obligations, from training hours to physician and specialist time. For the method, see our hazard class guide.

Loom noise: 80, 85 and 87 dB(A)

The Regulation on the Protection of Employees from Noise-Related Risks defines three thresholds. The values are daily personal exposure calculated over an 8-hour day, not an instantaneous reading taken at a single point in the hall.

The employer addresses noise exposure in the risk assessment and, where necessary, determines it by having measurements taken (Art. 6). The measurement is carried out by a laboratory holding an accreditation certificate from the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety (ISGGM), which notifies ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) of the measurement at least 3 days in advance. Bursa Sistemer does not have its own laboratory; we plan measurements with authorised laboratories and healthcare providers and enter the results into the risk assessment.

Pay attention to two points when planning measurements. First, for employees who move around the hall, such as loom tenders, fitters and foremen, personal dosimeter measurements give a more realistic result than measurements from a fixed point. Second, loom speed, fabric type and the number of looms running should be written in the report on the day of measurement; otherwise you will not be able to compare results a year later.

Worked example. Daily exposure is the energy average of the time spent at different noise levels; decibel values are not simply added or averaged. Suppose a loom tender spends 4 hours of an 8-hour shift between loom rows measured at 91 dB(A) and 4 hours in a preparation area measured at 82 dB(A):

• Daily exposure = 10 × log₁₀ [(4/8) × 10^9.1 + (4/8) × 10^8.2] ≈ 88.5 dB(A)

The result exceeds both the upper action value and the 87 dB(A) limit value; hearing protection is mandatory for this employee, and the level reaching the ear with the protector must fall below 87 dB(A). If job rotation reduces the time spent in the noisy zone to 2 hours, the same calculation gives about 86.4 dB(A): exposure falls, but because it remains above 85 dB(A) the requirement for protection continues. The practical rule is this: when the noise level rises by 3 dB, sound energy doubles, so the time must be halved to keep the same exposure.

Reducing noise at source comes before earplugs. Measures that work in weaving halls are:

• Vibration-damping mounts under loom feet and a solid floor connection
• Eliminating loose covers, worn gears and dry-running bearings through maintenance
• Dividing the hall; separating winding, inspection and warp preparation areas from the noisy hall
• A sound-insulated cabin or room for fitters and quality control
• Reducing time spent in the highest-exposure zone through job rotation

The hearing protection programme step by step

Noise-induced hearing loss progresses slowly, is irreversible and is often noticed years later. The way to prevent weavers' hearing loss is not a one-off PPE handout but a written programme:

1. Measure and map. Determine in which department and in which job 80 and 85 dB(A) are exceeded.
2. Mark. Mark areas above 85 dB(A) with the mandatory hearing protection sign.
3. Choose the right protector. The protector's attenuation value must suit the exposure; over-protection also makes warning sounds and forklift horns inaudible. Allow employees to choose between earplugs and earmuffs.
4. Teach how to fit them. Fitting a foam earplug incorrectly greatly reduces protection; demonstrate it hands-on in training.
5. Carry out audiometry. A hearing test is mandatory above 85 dB(A); above 80 dB(A) it may be provided if there is a risk. The pre-employment test is the baseline; the workplace physician sets the interval for subsequent tests.
6. Assess the result. For an employee showing a threshold shift, the physician reassesses protector use and their job, and recommends a change of job if necessary.
7. Record and renew. Keep measurement, test and training records; renew the measurement when looms are changed.

Planning the tests and following up the results is part of our health surveillance service. For a detailed explanation of the thresholds, see our noise regulation guide, and for reporting hearing loss as an occupational disease, our occupational disease guide.

Rotating parts and weaving machine accidents

Most weaving machine accidents happen not during production but during intervention: tying a broken yarn, pulling jammed fabric, cleaning the loom. The moving parts to watch on a loom are:

• Sley and reed: Move back and forth with every pick; the main source of hand and finger entrapment.
• Weft insertion mechanism: The flying shuttle on shuttle looms, the movement of the rapiers on rapier looms and the compressed air line on air-jet looms each carry separate risks.
• Rollers: Cloth take-up and pull rollers and the warp beam drive can draw in a hand, arm or loose clothing.
• Belts, pulleys and gears: Left exposed when covers are not refitted after maintenance.

Annex I of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment requires, where contact with moving parts could cause an accident, guards that prevent access to the danger zone or stop the movement before it is reached, and requires that guards cannot easily be defeated (2.8). Maintenance work is carried out with the equipment switched off, the energy supply disconnected and all movement stopped (2.13). For guard types, read our machine guards guide.

The rules to apply on site are simple but should be written down: the loom is stopped for yarn tying and fabric intervention; compressed air guns are not used to clean lint and dust off clothing, because they carry dust into the air and into the eyes; long hair is tied back, and loose sleeves and jewellery are not worn.

Drawing-in and warp beam handling

Drawing-in is passing the warp yarns one by one through the heald wires and the reed. The mechanical risk is low, but fine close-up work is done for hours in the same posture. Height-adjustable chairs, shadow-free and adequate lighting, regular short breaks and eye examinations are the key measures in this department.

The warp beam is the heaviest load in weaving. A full beam is too heavy to carry by hand; dropping it crushes feet, and rolling it causes entrapment. Measures:

1. Carry and mount beams with a beam trolley, lifting table or crane; abolish the "four of us will lift it" method.
2. Have lifting equipment, slings and accessories periodically inspected once a year.
3. Use chocks or cradles in the beam storage rack to prevent rolling.
4. Provide steel toe-cap footwear to employees who handle beams.
5. Apply the same logic to lowering and dispatching fabric rolls, using mechanical aids.

Cotton dust, lint and fire

In the limit values table in Annex 1 of the Regulation on Dust Control, cotton dust appears in three separate rows: ginning, opening and spinning; weaving; garment manufacturing. The risk assessment determines whether dust measurement is needed in the weaving hall. Lint and fly accumulate on top of looms, in cable trays and on light fittings, creating a fire load. Write cleaning into the shift plan and regularly check inside and around electrical panels.

Checklist and common mistakes

The gaps we most often see during audits in weaving businesses are: a noise measurement taken years ago and not renewed despite changes to the loom fleet; earplugs that are handed out but not worn; subsequent tests that cannot be compared because there was no pre-employment audiometry; the habit of tying broken yarn while the loom is running; and beams moved by rolling them by hand. The list below is designed to close these gaps:

• Hazard class verified against the current NACE code.
• Noise measurement carried out by an authorised laboratory; areas above 85 dB(A) marked.
• Hearing protectors handed out; hands-on fitting training given.
• Pre-employment and periodic audiometry tied to the physician's plan.
• Loom guards in place; the ban on intervention without stopping written into the instructions.
• Mechanical aids used for beam and roll handling; periodic inspection of lifting equipment up to date.
• Lint and dust cleaning in the shift plan.

To address all of these headings specifically for your site, see our risk assessment service and our textile sector page. Use the OHS obligation calculator to see your physician and specialist time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Above what level does loom noise become dangerous?

Above a daily exposure of 85 dB(A), wearing hearing protection and hearing tests are mandatory. Above 80 dB(A), protection is made available. 87 dB(A) is the limit value that can never be exceeded, including the effect of the protector.

What hazard class is a weaving business in?

In the 2025 NACE list, cotton weaving (13.20.16) is in the hazardous class. Check your code separately for other fibre or fabric types; what counts is the main activity carried out at the workplace.

Is handing out earplugs enough?

No. The regulation first requires noise to be reduced at source. Hearing protection is used when engineering measures are not enough, and it does not provide the expected protection if not chosen and fitted correctly.

How often are weavers' hearing tests carried out?

The regulation gives no fixed interval; the workplace physician sets the interval based on measurement results and the risk assessment. A test is mandatory above 85 dB(A), and the pre-employment test is used as the baseline for subsequent tests.