Case Study in a Working Environment Highlighting the Divergence between Sound Level and Workers’ Perception towards Noise

Abstract

Excessive noise levels are a prevalent issue in food processing operations and, although there have been numerous studies on occupational noise, no single study has used a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Employing this study design allows for an understanding of the level of convergence (similarity) between measured noise levels and workers’ attitudes and perceptions towards noise. This, in turn, allows for the identification of potential challenges with respect to the implementation of hearing conservation efforts. In this study, spot noise measurements were collected using a sound level meter. One-on-one interviews were conducted with workers to determine attitudes and perceptions towards noise in their workplaces. Subsequently, the results of the noise measurements (quantitative data) were integrated with the survey responses (qualitative data) to identify convergence. The majority of the noise measurements were found to exceed 85 dBA—the criterion mandated by the local occupational health and safety legislation. Although all study participants felt that it was noisy in the workplace, a large proportion of respondents indicated that the noise was not bothersome. With workers’ perception being contradictory to the measured noise levels, it is a challenge to implement hearing conservation measures unless changes are made to raise the awareness of the risks associated with excessive noise exposure.

Assessment of indoor air quality of the furniture manufacturers in Binh Duong industrial parks, Vietnam

“…In the process of working at the factory, often workers are also very little interested in the risks due to high noise levels affecting their health. The exploratory study confirmed that excessive noise (sound levels greater than 85 dBA) was prevalent in the participating facilities; yet nearly 50% of the exposed workers were nonchalant about this occupational hazard, even though they recognized that the environment was loud [13].…”

Short review on occupational noise exposure in the extractive industry and similar works

“…General hazardous effects of noise on health include, though are not limited to, sleep disturbance (Ntlhakana, Nelson, & Khoza-Shangase, 2020), pulmonary diseases, type 2 diabetes, fatigue, distraction (Hon, Tchernikov, Fairclough, & Behar, 2020), cardiovascular problems (Asady et al, 2021;Hon et al, 2020) and hypertension (Li et al, 2019). The noise exposure was also associated in the literature with injury and accident occurrence, as the annoyance effect clouds judgment and endangers action (Hon et al, 2020;Li et al, 2019).…”

“…Similarly, earthworks, as an example of similar works, uses the same processes and machines, therefore poses the same risks. However, excessive occupational noise is preventable (Hon et al, 2020). Understanding the general processes that contribute to this problem and mitigate its effects, achieved by carefully planning even the simplest operations.…”