Noisy Workplaces Can Have a Negative Effect on Your Health

By March 23, 2018For Talent

Do you like to work in complete silence or do you prefer a bit of hustle and bustle in your work environment? Everyone is different and what works for one employee won’t automatically work for another.

New research, however, has shown that there is a limit to the amount of background noise that is good for workers.

A new U.S. government report suggests that loud noise at work doesn’t just threaten your hearing, it might also boost your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

“Reducing workplace noise levels is critical not just for hearing loss prevention – it may also impact blood pressure and cholesterol,” said Dr. John Howard, director of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which conducted the study.

“Worksite health and wellness programs that include screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol should also target noise-exposed workers,” Howard said.

For the study, NIOSH scientists analysed data from the 2014 U.S. National Health Interview Survey and found that 41 million Americans had a history of noise exposure at work. 14% of workers reported exposure within the last year.

While 12% had hearing problems, 24% had high blood pressure and 28% had high cholesterol.

The study estimated that work-related noise exposure could be linked to 58% of hearing problems, 14%of high blood pressure cases and 9% of high cholesterol cases.

Unsurprisingly the industries with the highest rates of worker noise exposure were mining (61%), construction (51%), and manufacturing (47%).

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Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

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