Health risks of occupational noise
Post date: Jul 21, 2021 8:11:12 PM
Work-related noise poses health risks as much as work-related hazards that are physical. In this regard, Capt. Martin Sanders reminds people not to ignore or think about occupational noise to a lesser degree because the injuries from it could be just as damaging. Today's article hopes to shed light on the matter - identifying risk factors and known injuries, as well as how they can be prevented.
A common way to measure noise level in the workplace is to raise your voice to someone who is 3 feet away. Noise becomes a hazard when it starts interfering with your way of communicating and later cause health problems. To illustrate further, the rustling of leaves is around 10 decibels. A conversation is 50-60 decibels, a chainsaw or drill gives off 110 decibels, and a jet engine at the high end of the scale produces about 140 decibels. Hearing loss is a primary health risk of occupational noise, explains Capt. Martin Sanders. Early signs include ringing in the ears, unable to hear soft and high-pitched tones, muffling of speech, and many others. Some research suggests that a person exposed to occupational noise may take 10 years before doing anything about it from the time they have noticed its effects.
Eliminating risks could entail the following: proper wearing among workers of personal protective equipment (PPE) like earplugs and earmuffs; work shift may need to be adjusted, if necessary; enclosing machines to isolate the noise to prevent health risks on nearby areas. In this regard, maintenance may need to be performed on some equipment that becomes a noise hazard because of wear and tear. Captain Martin Sanders is a public health professional with more than a decade of experience in the occupational health and safety sector. He was the acting Chief of Safety for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), related to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). Click here for more updates.
Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, or the United States Government.