AC/DC might have said “rock’n’roll ain’t noise pollution” – but have you thought about what excessive noise in the workplace might be doing to your hearing?
Exposure to extreme amounts of noise over a long period of time can cause hearing damage and other health problems, although it may happen so gradually you might not notice minor deterioration from one day to the next.
Once your hearing is damaged, it often can’t be restored. The degree of hearing loss depends on the loudness of the noise and exposure level. The ability to hear high-frequency sounds is usually the first area to be affected.
Aside from hearing damage, constant excessive noise can also cause headaches, elevated blood pressure, fatigue, digestive disorders and increased susceptibility to colds and other minor infections.
It’s a mistake to believe only noises loud enough to cause ear-aches cause damage. The inner ear can still be harmed by noise, even if you don’t experience pain.
But there are things you can do to reduce noise exposure in the workplace, helping to minimise the possibility of hearing loss and other health problems, such as:
While sensitivity to noise differs from one person to the next, experts believe damage to hearing occurs when noise levels are higher than 85 decibels (the sound of heavy traffic). Listening to noises of 109 decibels for longer than two minutes at a time is not recommended.
A good rule of thumb to remember: if you have to raise your voice to be heard, or if your ears are ringing and sounds seem muffled afterwards, the noise levels are too loud and harmful.
Occupational health and safety officers can offer advice and information on reducing noise in the workplace. Noise levels should be regularly monitored and work practices continuously improved to preserve the hearing of workers.
Noise levels can be measured using a sound level meter to detect the pressure of sound waves as they move through the air.
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