On Wednesday 25th April 2018, the world will commemorate the 23rd anniversary of International Noise Awareness Day (INAD). Here, we talk about why this day is important.
In 1996, the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) founded this annual event to encourage people to do something about excessive and irritating noise where they work, live and play. Having started as a local event, Noise Awareness Day soon turned into an international event with people around the world sharing the same mission to reduce unwanted noise.
Why is unwanted noise a problem?
There has been countless research conducted which has highlighted the negative impact of excessive noise on our health. These adverse effects include heart disease, hearing loss, tinnitus, a spike in stress hormones and even insomnia. And according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), noise pollution is the second biggest environmental threat to health after air pollution. It’s something that we shouldn’t ignore.
What equates to excessive noise?
As a general rule, noise upwards of 85 decibels is deemed harmful. The amount of harm done by this depends on several factors including how long you’re exposed to the noise for, how often and whether or not you are wearing any kind of hearing protection. For some, working in excess of this level is a daily occurrence posing significant health risks to the worker. For example, construction workers, who are exposed to noise all day long on building sites, can often work with heavy duty tools that can register an ear-shattering 120 decibels.
Not forgetting the impact this noise has on the local community. Construction activities in terms of loud machinery, equipment usage, drilling, hammering, demolition and rail maintenance are one of the main causes of noise pollution. This noise pollution can become unbearable for those living or working close to the area and accounts for thousands of noise complaints every single year.
We can help
Here at Echo Barrier, we understand the importance of noise mitigation. Our range of temporary acoustic barriers and noise reduction solutions are at the forefront of protecting workers and communities from the damaging effects of noise. Used worldwide and for a variety of industries including construction, live events and rail works, our acoustic barriers are tested and proven to give up to 40dB noise control.
If you’re looking for ways to mitigate noise from your construction site, live event or demolition work, we can provide you with the products that can help to maintain good community relations while operating in busy residential environments.