Q: How do I control noise within the workplace?
A:
Noise in the workplace can be highly distracting, limit communication, affect safety as well as reduce work performance and productivity.
Noise can be a problem in factories, vehicles, open plan office environments or building and construction sites. Because of excess noise, instructions can sometimes be misheard or announcements not heard at all which may compromise both productivity and safety.
Open plan office environments where multiple distractions and conversations occur can reduce concentration levels, alter train of thought or reduce the ability to focus attention, again potentially impacting negatively on work performance and productivity.
Excessive noise within the workplace can also contribute to the permanent hearing loss of employees. Evidence suggests that continuous exposure to noise levels that exceed 85 decibels during a normal 8 hour working day can pose an unacceptable risk to the hearing of those exposed.
Therefore methods of suppressing or eliminating workplace noise can have great benefits. Within workplaces sources of noise may be loud or just annoying and limit clarity of hearing, for instance a rattling door or window on a vehicle.
When workplace noise is identified the following should be considered:
- removing or replacing the source of noise with plant or equipment with lower noise emissions
- ensuring all plant and equipment is installed correctly to ensure low noise emissions
- treating vibration sources within a machine or engine
- using noise damping products to reduce metal to metal contact
- providing effective maintenance procedures to eliminate noise from insufficient lubrication, rubbing machine parts, faulty seals or worn bearings
- thinking about elements of a machine rather than the whole machine, for instance using anti-vibration mountings, mufflers or silencers
- whether work undertaken or equipment used can be changed to reduce noise emissions
- using sound absorbing materials on floors, walls and ceilings to limit transmission of sound
- placing sound barriers or enclosures around noisy equipment to minimise emissions:
- installing partitions or cubicles within open plan offices or factories:
- if noise cannot be eliminated, changing work methods to ensure restricted periods of time are spent by employees in these environments, or only operate particular noisy equipment when the least amount of staff are exposed
On-site advice and noise damping products such as noise and vibration suppression materials and noise suppressing paint are available from Soundproofing Australia to assist with reducing the level of noise in the workplace.
