Occupational health hazard has become one of the most significant burning questions of the modern industrial workplace. According to a recent study, every year millions of workers around the world are exposed to noise levels that put their hearing at risk not only to the workers who are involved with noisy operations but also to those who are working around them.
Every day, workers of several of professions have to face less or more noise hazards. But, the workers of the ready-made garments industry are the worst sufferer. Most of the time working environment is commonly liable for the fact; sometimes worker themselves responsible for their sufferings and the most significant fact of noise pollution is our backdated rules and regulations, poor monitoring system and poor implementation policy.
Excessive noise is an occupational hazard, is no doubt, at all. But, the critical equation is that noise hazard impacts on both the employees, who are suffering permanent hearing loss due to exposure to excessive industrial noise levels and the employers, whose profits are reduced by the increased costs of worker compensation claims related to noise induced hearing loss.
Specially, the people who are working various industries in the capital cities here in Bangladesh due to their livelihood are gradually damaging their hearing capability as a result of the high degree of sound exposure in their workplace. But, who cares? As there are no hard and fast visible initiatives to check the noise pollution, the Noise Pollution (Control) rules formulated by the government has become almost futile.
Noise is a common occupational hazard in every workplace. It is extremely visible in industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, ship-building, textiles, mining and cutting, food and drink, woodworking, entertainment, metal working and construction. There are some common sources of noise pollution such as: loud music, the use of heavy machineries, workplace transport, use of electrical heavy tools, motors and generators, production lines, engineering processes and plant rooms.
The hazards of noise are dose-related. The higher the dose of noise a worker receives, the greater the risk to the workers hearing. A worker's noise dose is dependent on the following three factors:
(1) Intensity/Loudness: As per ILO, 60dB for normal conversation; recommendation maximum 85 dB for eight hours in a working day.
(2) Frequency: Frequencies between 3000-4000 Hz are most likely to damage human hearing.
(3) Duration: The length of time we have been exposed to noise.
Noisy working environment significantly increases the risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. That is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has established and recently revised guidelines for noise levels in the workplace which are similar to the ILO recommendations.
The decibel level acceptable under ILO and OSHA for an eight-hour day cannot exceed 85-90 dB; for six hours the limit is 92 dB; for four hours the maximum limit is 95 dB; for three hours the limit is 97 dB; for two hours 100 dB; for one and one-half hours 102 dB and for one hour 105 dB.
The ILO works on the certain principle that workers should be protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their employment. The ILO estimates that 2.02 million people die each year from work-related accidents or diseases; more than 317 million people suffer from work-related diseases and there are an estimated 337 million fatal and non-fatal work-related accidents per year.
Here, the sufferings of the workers and their families know no bounds. In economic terms, the ILO has estimated that 4 per cent of the world's annual GDP is lost as a consequence of occupational diseases and accidents. Employers face costly early retirements, loss of skilled staff, absenteeism and high insurance premiums due to work-related accidents and diseases.
By applying proper implementation of sound prevention, reporting and inspection practices, we can prevent many of these tragedies with a deft hand. ILO standards on occupational safety and health provide essential tools for governments, employers and workers to establish such practices and to provide for maximum safety at work. Moreover, ILO adopted a "global strategy to improve occupational safety and health" in 2003.
Several studies including World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that at least 45 areas in the Dhaka city were extremely polluted by noise which was far more than the tolerance limit. The Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and traffic department are responsible to control noise level. But, unfortunately we don't have any pragmatic visual initiatives against the city problem.
A survey conducted at 70 points of the Dhaka city in 2017 by the Department of Environment (DoE). Here, DoE found that sound pollution at 70 points of the city has reached the highest 120-130 dB at many points which is almost double set forth by the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2006.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe limit of sound is 45 decibels. But, an amount of 60 dB sound can make a man deaf temporarily which is often experienced after leaving a noisy place. Over 100 dB can cause his permanent hearing loss. Sound over 65 decibels creates heart diseases and over 90 decibels of sound leads to ulcer, hearing problems and changes of nerve system.
Excessive noise levels over a long period of time in the workplace will slowly but surely damaging our hearing capability. But, this may usually happen so gradually and painlessly that victims may not notice the minor deterioration from one day to the next. Sensitivity to noise differs from individual to individual. Here, experts believe that damage to hearing occurs when noise levels are higher than 85 decibels.
The degree of hearing loss depends on the loudness of the noise and how long victims are exposed to it. Some people exposed to excessive noise develop tinnitus. For most cases of noise-induced hearing loss, there is no cure. Hearing aids only amplify sounds and can't replace normal hearing. Therefore, the risk of hearing loss increases as the noise becomes louder.
Even a few decibels of noise reduction can make a significant difference that can improve our communication skill and reduce noise-related annoyance in our personal or professional life. Apart from damage to hearing, exposure to constant and excessive noise can cause other mental, health and work related problems including:
(1) Headache.
(2) Elevated blood pressure.
(3) Heart disease.
(4) Fatigue.
(5) Sleep disturbance.
(6) Irritability.
(7) Digestive disorders.
(8) Interfere with our regular performance.
(9) Severely affect our communication skill and concentration at work.
(10) Tired and exhaustion.
(11) Increased susceptibility to colds and other minor infections.
As the levels of noise can be measured by using a digital sound level meter, we can reduce the exposure to excessive noise in the workplace in many different ways:
(1) Changing or modifying equipment;
(2) Locating the equipment in a more isolated area;
(3) Providing soundproof room;
(4) Making sure that people spend time working in quiet areas;
(5) Try to run noisy equipment early or late in the day when fewer people will be exposed;
(6) By applying job rotation policy;
(7) Providing occupational health and safety training;
(8) Applying noise control hierarchy (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and using personal hearing protection such as ear plugs or ear muffs).
In the concluding remarks, it is obvious that a lot of good practices, innovative initiatives, up-to-date policy, self-awareness, respect to the country laws and the government constructive policy to modify the existing rules and regulations with close monitoring system are the integral ingredients of establishing and ensuring a sound occupational health and safety practice in the workplace in Bangladesh.
The writer is Assistant Deputy Secretary, BKMEA. He can be reached at ranaduttabkmea@gmail.com
