Preventative Measures for Reducing Noise Pollution in Buildingsĭesigning the building to lower noise emissions can be time-consuming, but it is one of the most effective ways of dealing with the issue. Other effects of industrial noise pollution include: Other workers, who were exposed to hazardous noise showed clear signs of hearing impairment and other related issues. 23% of the corn mill workers, 20% of the sawmill workers, and 7.9% of the printing industry employees showed symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss. Intense and unpleasant noise can lead to psychological trauma, resulting in neurological problems and nervous disorders.Ī 2004 study that investigated sawmills, printing presses, and corn mills for industrial pollution, found that the noise levels in these industries often exceed 85dBA. Workers involved in these activities should wear earplugs to help them avoid deafening exposure to these causes of noise pollution. Similarly, construction workers, blasting, bulldozing, quarrying, and various other similar activities can create a high intensity of noise pollution. can create intolerably high levels of sound that can irritate the public and adversely affect the employees of engineering companies, textile mills, and metalworking factories. Also, the mechanical pneumatic drills, saws, and rotating belts, etc. People who work with drills, punch presses, saws, mills, lathes, and progressive dies must wear protective equipment to avoid the adverse effects of noise pollution. The three most damaging sources of noise pollution in an industrial setting are machinery, construction, and vehicles. Workers in the shipping and steelwork industries are exposed to the highest levels of occupational pollution because they work close to heavy industrial blowers that produce sounds of up to 112 dBA or higher.įor comparison, consider that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends keeping industrial sounds below 85 dBA to minimize the chance of hearing loss caused by occupational noise.Īccording to research from the CDC, even a one-time exposure to sounds that are higher than 120 dBA can cause instant damage to hearing.
Depending upon the frequency, amplitude, and range of the industrial noise, it may merely annoy those within earshot, and it may also interfere with speech and hearing, causing irreversible hearing damage in many cases. Industrial noise pollution is caused by plants and factories – it can have an impact on the people working within as well as those living around these industrial buildings. It can’t be tasted, seen or smelled, so we ignore it that is, until the effects of industrial noise pollution start wreaking havoc with our health.
The trouble is that noise is everywhere around us, and no one considers it to be pollution because we’ve learned to live with it. What Exactly is Industrial Noise Pollution?Īny noise that interferes with the lives of people and animals and has the potential to harm them can be defined as noise pollution. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg prolonged exposure to excessive noise also causes stress, productivity losses, fatigue, communication issues, and other more severe problems such as tinnitus and cardiovascular diseases. Industrial and other types of noise pollution have caused 48 million Americans to lose their hearing abilities. A study revealed that nearly 30 million people in the United States are exposed to hazardous sound levels at their workplace every day.
The trouble is that not many people recognize the causes and effects of noise pollution in the workplace as a serious health concern. Sound is an integral part of our everyday lives, but when it turns into noise, it can cause adverse effects on our mental and physical health.