Noise pollution is one of the commonest pollution nowadays. Exposure to loud noise is hazardous to health. Prolonged exposure to noise emitting sources can even lead to permanent deprivation of auditory functions. Loud noise also disturbs the mental well-being of a person, thereby debilitating the normal functioning of his brain.
Industries are one of the major sources of noise production. The large machineries used at construction sites, mines and other such emit sounds above the safety standards. Chronic exposure to loud noise in the workplace immensely harms the health of the workers. This renders them unable to do their work properly. Therefore measures should be taken to ensure safety to them. Here are some of the measures you need to take in order to prevent hearing loss among workers in construction jobs:
Monitor their daily exposure to noise
The noise production in your factory or construction site should be monitored time to time. On an average, no employee should get an exposure to noise greater than 85 decibels for more than 8 hours. On the other hand, your workplace should not produce any noise greater than 130 decibel. To monitor this, you can install a noise control display.
Perform audiometric assessment
Best tradesman jobs always recommend that the effect of loud noise on the auditory function of the workers should be assessed on regular intervals. You can contact a doctor for such and examination. This will help you understand whether the noise at the workplace is affecting their health and will also help you to make necessary amendments.
Conduct deafness prevention sessions
You can consult an expert for conducting a deafness prevention programme. You can look into every aspect of noise production and recognise the particular places that need to be dealt with.
Apply advanced engineering techniques
This is very effective in controlling excessive noise. This includes a thorough survey of all your equipment at work by an engineer. You can take his aid to re-design excessive noise producing machineries following newer and advanced techniques to cut down the noise. If this idea is not that apt, consider installing newer devices for better results.
Provide the workers with proper noise protection
You should make it mandatory for the workers in high risk zone (greater than 85 decibels) to use ear plugs while working. This will decrease the noise entering into their ears. You can also encourage the use of background noise cancelling devices for enhancing communication among them.
Enclose noise producing devices in sound-proof spaces
If you do not have provisions for any of the above means, consider enclosing the major noise producing devices in sound proof rooms. This will at least not let the sound leak out and can help to diminish the extent of pollution.
Motivate and convince the employees
You can conduct training for all your employees about the hazards of getting exposed to louder noise. You can teach them proper usage of ear plugs and also the significance of using advanced and less sound producing technologies when it comes to health and safety.
Loud noise in workplace brings both physical and psychological stress to the workers. This brings down their productivity thereby making tradesman jobs even tougher. So make sure to provide a noise free ambience to the workers which will definitely make them concentrate and communicate more effectively.