What problems can noise cause?

What problems can noise cause?

Noise need not be excessively loud to cause problems in the workplace. Noise can interact with other workplace hazards to increase risks to workers by, for example:

• Increasing the risk of accidents by masking warning signals;
• Interacting with exposure to some chemicals to further increase the risk of hearing loss; or
• Being a causal factor in work-related stress.

Exposure to noise may pose a variety of health and safety risks to workers:

• Hearing loss: Excessive noise damages the hair cells in the cochlea, part of the inner ear, leading to loss of hearing. "In many countries, noise-induced hearing loss is the most prevalent irreversible industrial disease."[iii] It is estimated that the number of people in Europe with hearing difficulties is more than the population of France[iv]
• Physiological effects: There is evidence that exposure to noise has an effect on the cardiovascular system resulting in the release of catecholamines and an increase in blood pressure. Levels of catecholamines in blood (including epinephrine (adrenaline)) are associated with stress.
• Work-related stress: Work-related stress rarely has a single cause, and usually arises from an interaction of several risk factors. Noise in the work environment can be a stressor, even at quite low levels.
• Increased risk of accidents: High noise levels make it difficult for staff to hear and communicate, increasing the probability of accidents. Work-related stress (in which noise may be a factor) can compound this problem.

[iii] World Health Organisation: prevention of noise-induced hearing loss 1997

[iv] SIHI study group at The University of Maastricht (1999)