Equipment and machinery that are used for maintenance of public green spaces, in private gardens or on construction sites can cause intense noise and disruption. In the Machine Noise Ordinance (MaNO), the federal government has set emission limit values and stipulated that equipment and machinery must be labelled with their maximum noise level.
The federal government adopted the European Union Directive 2000/14/EU in 2007 by enacting the MaNO. The aim of this regulation is to make equipment and machinery quieter and to inform people of an appliance’s noise level before they purchase or use it. Noise labelling is mandatory for all equipment and machinery listed in the MaNO. Manufacturers use this value to indicate the maximum noise level generated by the appliance (guaranteed sound power level). Certain equipment and machinery, such as backhoe loaders, must also comply with emission limit values.
The manufacturer or retailer is responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations, regardless of whether the appliance is sold in a shop or online.
The FOEN is responsible for market surveillance. The agriss foundation carries out targeted market controls on a random basis on behalf of the FOEN.
For their part, users of equipment and machinery can contribute to reducing noise pollution by purchasing quiet appliances, limiting their use to the bare minimum, respecting quiet periods or reducing the power of the appliances (not always at full throttle).
Anyone who, for the first time, sells an appliance in Switzerland or puts it into operation themselves, must ensure that it complies with the regulations. This obligation applies regardless of whether the appliance is sold in a shop or online.. This requires a so-called declaration of conformity (DOC) from the manufacturer, which confirms that the product fulfils the requirements of EU Directive 2000/14 EC. The DOC must be provided in the user manual.
The guaranteed sound power level (LwA) declared by the manufacturer specifies the maximum emission levelgenerated by the appliance. It must be indicated via a clearly visible label on the appliance and in the declaration of conformity.
The aim is to improve market transparency so that consumers can compare noise emissions when making purchases and opt for quieter equipment.
MaNO sets emission limit values for specific equipment and machinery. The emission values (sound power levels) correspond to the noise generated during typical use of the equipment. The test procedures for determining emissions are standardised at European level.
Since a separate licence is not required for each individual equipment, compliance with the regulations must be ensured by surveillance of the market.
These control activities (targeted market surveillance campaigns, visits to trade fairs, controls in sales areas and of internet offers) are carried out by the agriss foundation on behalf of the FOEN. The FOEN issues any market-relevant rulings and maintains contact with the EU.
Equipment and machinery operators can make an important contribution to reducing noise pollution by using them considerately. The most effective measures for doing so are:
choosing (purchasing) a low-noise appliance
limiting use of equipment or machinery to the bare minimum and avoiding quieter times (early in the morning, lunchtime, evenings, public holidays)
using a quieter alternative or reducing the appliance’s power where possible (not always using it at full throttle)
Local authorities may restrict the use of equipment and machinery. For example, they can issue additional regulations such as specifying quiet periods or restricting use of particularly noisy equipment on construction sites in the planning permission.
Leaf blowers are frequently the cause of complaints about noise in autumn. This problem has now eased somewhat due to the increase in the number of electrical appliances and the fact that local authorities, garden maintenance companies and caretakers have more experience with using them.
