The Equipment and Machinery Noise Protection Ordinance regulates the use of machinery and equipment in certain sensitive outdoor areas. These regulations are basically aimed at both entrepreneurs and private individuals.
Thus, equipment and machinery may be used in
- Pure, general and special residential areas,
- Small residential areas,
- special areas used for recreation,
- spa and hospital areas, and
- on the grounds of hospitals and nursing homes
may not be operated outdoors on Sundays or public holidays during the entire day and on weekdays between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m..
This also applies to motor-driven equipment such as lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, chain saws, scarifiers and similar equipment.
Special regulations exist for
- brush cutters,
- grass trimmers and grass edge trimmers,
- leaf blowers and leaf collectors,
which do not bear the Community eco-label (European eco-label) or do not comply with the requirements for permissible sound power levels of stage II in Article 12 of Directive 2000/14/EC.
These may also be used during the time between
- 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m,
- 13:00 h and 15:00 h and
- 17:00 and 20:00
The competent authority may allow exceptions to the operating time restrictions in individual cases.
Anyone who uses noisy equipment and machinery to avert hazards during storms or snowfall or other dangers to people, the environment or property does not require an exemption.
For nighttime work in mixed areas, commercial and industrial areas, an exemption does not have to be applied for if none of the above-mentioned areas is directly affected by the construction work.
An exemption is also not required for construction sites on roads and railroads of supra-regional importance, e.g. federal highways (federal highways and federal roads with local through-roads) and railroads of federal railroads.
If you select a location under "Localization" the contact details of the responsible authority and, if applicable, locally valid information will be displayed.