We live in a noisy world, which can cause permanent hearing damage to our sensitive ears. Not only is noise pollution in the workplace a menace to our hearing, it can also be a genuine cause for danger to our well-being.
Researchers have recently found that people who work in noisy workplaces (that have noise levels regularly exceeding 100dB) have twice the chance of sustaining a workplace injury and being hospitalized as a result.
Those who are constantly subjected to loud noises in the workplace tend to have higher rates of fatigue. This can interfere with their ability to concentrate, and may hamper communication between co-workers. As a result, during times of emergency, these workers may not have the necessary mental resources or reflexes to get out of harm’s way, which can result in accidents and injury.
Any kind of workplace injury results in high costs for both the company and its workers. It is in everyone’s interest, therefore, to find ways to safeguard all employees from the dangers of unsafe levels of noise.
Even though hearing loss can be prevented, it cannot be healed. As a result, preventative measures need to become a higher priority for all workplaces that have high levels of unsafe noise.