Speaking of Safety
In the United States alone, about 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work every day. In addition to contributing to hearing loss, excessive noise prevents workers from hearing warning signals, negatively affects communication between workers, and decreases workers’ ability to concentrate. It’s also been linked to stomach problems and high blood pressure.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year and the effects go far beyond loss of hearing. Exposure to excessive noise can affect more than just workers’ hearing. It can also create dangerous situations.
Workers have been using hearing protection devices since the 1960’s to protect themselves from high levels of noise. Â Approximately 30 million workers in the United States are occupationally exposed to hazardous noises each year. 10 million of those workers suffer from noise induced hearing loss according to NIOSH.