Noise from construction comes from many sources such as new home and office construction, the renovation of existing buildings, road and bridge maintenance, new public transit and others. Noise irritants are not created solely by the construction. The large dump trucks hauling dirt away at all hours from an Ontario Line Station build, and accelerating off the light, contribute significantly towards extra noise. The concrete trucks are granted noise exemptions for continuous pours. To this, add the early morning workers chatting before they are allowed to go onsite, and the random incessant backup beepers. Of course, the beepers are there to protect those workers, who are also entitled to greet their fellow workers.
However, people in their homes don’t want to be in on the conversation and certainly don’t need to be warned of a piece of equipment backing up or lifting a load within a fenced off, secured construction site.
The existing options and solutions are largely ignored by the construction industry who don’t want to look seriously into noise mitigation (mostly they only do monitoring) because it will cost them money. But mitigations exist that will improve the health of the workers and everyone within earshot. We need to bring pressure on the construction industry to act more responsibly.
Bylaws
The City of Toronto has a Noise Website , with sections that you can expand to learn more. For details of the noise bylaws the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 591, Noise has clickable chapters. The bylaw can be found in section 591-2.3. Construction.
It states: No person shall emit or cause or permit the emission of sound resulting from construction or any operation of construction equipment that is clearly audible:
- From 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day, except until 9 a.m. on Saturdays; and/or
- All day on Sundays and statutory holidays.
Make a Noise Report
If you are exposed to noise pollution outside of these hours you have three options:
- Click here to create a Construction Noise Service Request
- Phone call – dial 311
- Through the 311 mobile app – click the link to download
You can also send an email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca on how they can improve.
Every report is a data point that the city will use to make future decisions. The more that people report a problem the more likely that the Noise Team will act.
Solutions
There are ways to reduce and mitigate noise, such as:
- Better and quieter equipment
- Quieter work practices –
- rubber mallet vs metal hammer when possible
- using a hydraulic rock splitter instead of jackhammers to break concrete
- Demolition grout
- Better processes for reporting and enforcing noise bylaws
- Better barriers for noise and vibration
- Stronger requirements for noise mitigation and lower thresholds
- Implementing no construction days to give people a break
- Better road surfaces
- Broadband back up beepers
- The use of electric tools significantly reduces noise and provides quieter operation for a 10-15 dB noise reduction on construction sites
Noise Exemption Permits
Noise exemption permits can be requested for events or activities that may be in contravention of the Noise Bylaw. Examples include construction noises outside the allowable hours, including continuous concrete pouring and large crane work.
Additionally, other activities can be exempted by the Province:
- Noise from federal or provincial infrastructure projects
- Necessary municipal or provincial emergency work
- Work needed to respond to an emergency
- Emergency work that cannot be performed during regular business hours
There is more information on the Noise Exemption Permit webpage.