How Noise Pollution in the Workplace can Damage Mental Health

Mental health can be affected by a million different factors, but one that is often overlooked is noise pollution. This is common across all workplaces such as your standard office job, but especially on industrial sites, factories and other environments with heavy machinery.

The Effects of Noise on Health.

Noise is a serious issue that affects people across the world, the World Health Organisation estimates that 1.6 million healthy life years are lost annually in Western Europe to noise pollution. Chronic noise exposure (above 55 dB) has been linked to a 30% increase in anxiety and depression as well.

And this carries through to work life too. According to the HSE, around 21,000 workers in the UK suffer from work-related hearing problems annually due to noise. Noise has also been linked to increased stress and lower mental well-being in high-exposure industries.

As a result of this, lower productivity ensues: Noise exposure can reduce productivity by up to 66% due to cognitive overload, stress, and poor concentration. This adds to the downwards spiral caused from noise pollution as workload gets overwhelming.

In recent years, employers have been doing more to protect their teams wellbeing, but this isn’t being seen enough…

How do We Know When There’s Too Much Noise?

Monitoring the noise that your staff are exposed to is the first crucial step to creating a healthier, less stressful working environment.

This can be done with a range of different tools, such as noise dosimeters, noise monitors and even acoustic cameras for complex problems. Each solution works for different environments, so why are they different?

Noise Monitors

Noise monitors are ideal for continuous measurement in environments where noise levels fluctuate. Devices like the 971A and 307A allow you to assess environmental noise and ensure compliance with safety regulations. These monitors are well-suited for industrial settings or any workplace where sustained noise levels need to be measured and controlled over time.

Noise Dosimeters

For personal exposure measurement, personal dosimeters like the SV 104 and SV 106 offer precise data on how much noise an individual worker is exposed to during their shift. The compact, wearable design of these dosimeters makes them perfect for tracking the noise exposure of employees who move between different workstations or use loud tools intermittently throughout the day.

Acoustic Cameras

For more complex noise issues, such as identifying noise sources in dynamic environments, acoustic cameras like the SoundScanner provide advanced visualisation. This tool creates a “noise map” that pinpoints problem areas, helping you tackle high-risk zones with precision. Acoustic cameras are particularly useful in troubleshooting and managing noise in manufacturing plants or construction sites.

These help you to address the noise at its source, preventing the noise from ever reaching your team as you can provide noise protection around the problem areas.

So what can you do to protect your staff?

Once you’ve identified areas of concern, it’s crucial to implement strategies to protect your staff. Here are a few key measures:

1. Provide Hearing Protection
   It’s simple but effective, protect their ears… Give your staff access to appropriate hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs, especially in high-noise environments. Custom-fit hearing protection can provide better comfort and noise reduction for workers regularly exposed to hazardous levels of noise.
2. Rotate Shifts or Tasks
   For workers in high-noise areas, consider rotating their shifts or job tasks to limit prolonged exposure. Reducing the duration of exposure can lower the risk of long-term damage to hearing and mental health.
3. Use Noise Control Measures
   Introduce soundproofing, barriers, or damping materials in loud work environments to physically reduce noise at the source. These measures can significantly cut down ambient noise levels, making the space safer and more comfortable for staff.
4. Regular Training and Awareness
   And lastly, educate your employees about the risks of noise exposure and the importance of wearing protective equipment. Many years back people didn’t understand the effects of noise, and now there are countless people suffering from tinnitus.

Offering training sessions can help staff understand how to reduce their own risk and recognise symptoms of overexposure early.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how you improve the safety of your employees, check out our range of health and safety products on our shop.