You probably know about health and safety basics at work, but you may not know about one health and safety issue that affects millions every year. This is because most people are focused on things like fire safety, stress safety, injury safety, etc, but in reality one common thing might be causing damage that you are not even aware of. This mysterious factor is noise, and noise can cause a large problem in certain circumstances if you are exposed to large amounts of noise at work on a daily basis for many years.
Noise Pollution in the Workplace
Everyone is used to hearing noise in their lives. Most people learn to tune noise out in the background and simply carry on with what they are doing. However, noise that is extremely loud can start to affect the way that a person functions on a daily basis and can affect much more than just their hearing. In fact, loud frequencies can distort the comprehension of important information leading to serious health problems and stress on the body – it may even cause tinnitus. The good news is with the right health and safety training in place the affects of noise can be diminished so that employees are safe within the workplace.
Noise Associated Health Problems
There is a long list of health problems that have been linked to being exposed to loud noise during long periods of time. Some of these health problems include ulcers, high blood pressure, hypertension, and more. Therefore, the first goal of any health and safety program is to minimise exposure. This can be done via the use of hearing protectors such as ear muffs and ear plugs. This is best if you work in a place where there is no other way to reduce the amount of noise that is released into the air.
Knowing that safety protectors are required is not always enough however to keep all employees safe. A lot of employees shun from the idea of using hearing protectors, which is why it is important that employers make it a point to educate them on the use of such protectors. Safety posters are a great idea in workplaces with large amounts of noise so that employees have visual reminders that failing to wear protective gear could lead to hearing loss. It will also help them remember to put on their gear in the case that they have been negligent and simply forgotten to grab it.
