Are you or your staff exposed to noise in the workplace?
High noise levels in the workplace can cause permanent hearing loss to workers. It can be an underlying cause of other health conditions such as stress, increased heart rate and hypertension and lead to serious accidents if workers are distracted from excessive noise.
High levels of noise are a safety hazard in your workplace and it’s very important to protect your employees from possible injuries and health risks.
So heres 3 important steps you can take;
1. Conduct a Noise Assessment in the Workplace
Any sound at or above 85 dBA (decibels) will cause hearing damage if you are exposed to it over a long period of time. If you cant conduct an inspection yourself, engage a qualified company to determine the sources and levels of noise in your workplace. Using a sound level meter you can pinpoint high levels of sound and determine the specific areas where damaging noise is present.
Based on the results of the noise assessment, you can determine which employees are exposed to high noise levels in your workplace and prioritise your efforts to reduce exposure your workers have to noise.
2. Eliminate or Reduce the Source of Noise
If you want to eliminate or reduce noise, you should focus on its sources. The obvious solution is replacing machinery and equipment that emits loud noise with quieter ones or you can install sound reducing equipment – but all of that can be expensive. The least expensive option in reducing exposure to noise is using quality ear protection.
3. Ensure Workers Use Hearing PPE
The use of protective ear protection should be strictly implemented in any workplace where workers are exposed to noise that is not considered normal. Whether its using ear plugs or specialised ear muffs, using ear protection will protect your workers from permanent hearing loss.
The safety of your workers and protecting their hearing is very important. If you have doubts, contact SMCS SAFETY and speak to one of our safety specialists to find out what you can do to improve workplace safety.