It appears from recent research that no one is exempt from stress. Here we look at how noise can be a stressor ahead of Stress Awareness Month.

Every person suffers from stress and anxiety to some extent, it has been revealed. The Mental Health Foundation recently found that three quarters of people in the UK had felt so stressed in the past 12 months that they were overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Many stress issues are related to financial or personal circumstances, some due to work and others are linked to environmental noise. The effects of noise can cause an array of health complaints including hearing loss, insomnia, stress and heart disease as well as high blood pressure which increases the risks of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.
Data from the European Environment Agency in 2014 stated that there were 10,000 premature deaths caused by noise pollution in Europe, 43,000 hospitalisations and 900,000 cases of hypertension. A German study in 2015 found that there was a 25% higher rate of depression in areas with high traffic noise compared to quieter neighbourhoods.
However, the highest rates of depression were discovered in the areas where intermediate noise was being heard for 24 hours a day – not in the areas with the highest noise levels.

What’s being done? The European Union adopted a directive on environmental noise in 2002 in which measurements must be taken of ambient noise. In early 2014, across 65 urban areas in England, there were 7.4million people living in areas with road noise levels in excess of 55decibels (dB) as an average. Almost five million were living with night-time road noise above 50dB. By adding in the exposure to rail noise, the data increased to 8.4m and 5.6m respectively. The World Health Organisation recommends a limit of no more than 85dB for eight hours a day.
Complaints about noise have been increasing over the past decade and as you would expect, there is an equalities issue as more deprived communities are more likely to be exposed to increased noise and air pollution. But there are ways to combat noise such as sound insulation in homes and double-glazed windows.
When it comes to vehicles, the annual MOT test requires silencers and exhaust systems to be maintained, and it has set improving standards for noise created by vehicle tyres. The EU has also set standards for engine noise in cars and heavy goods vehicles. Environmentally-friendly solutions to noise pollution could improve both mental and physical wellbeing.

How Echo Barrier helps to mitigate noise At Echo Barrier, noise mitigation is at the forefront of what we do and is the reason behind our market-leading products. Our award-winning acoustic barriers have been used in a variety of industries including construction, live music events and rail works to reduce noise and help protect workers and the surrounding community.
We are proud to hold the coveted Quiet Mark which is only given to organisations and products who can prove that they help reduce noise.

For more information and to discuss your needs, call the team on 0845 561 3246 or contact us via the website.