Noise would not only have negative effects on health, it would also be responsible for a loss of productivity in the company, according to the results of a survey carried out by the JNA association on the occasion of the “Week of hearing health at work” organized from October 24 to 28. One in five employees said they lost 30 minutes of actual work during a day because of the noise environment.
Noise, a real disruptor at work
This survey tells us that half of employees say they are bothered by too high a noise level at work. As a consequence of this disturbing situation, 4 working people out of 10 wear personal protection against noise, but paradoxically the majority of them (60%) have never benefited from a hearing screening. More specifically, this survey reveals that the majority (80%) of tertiary sector employees claim to be embarrassed by noise. Almost all (91%) of active workers say they are in difficulty with the sound environment.
The cost of overexposure to noise at work
“Auditory fatigue and untreated deafness reduce the ability to concentrate and ultimately individual performance generates a high social cost given the numerous dysfunctions induced” recalls the association.
According to figures from the Ministry of Health, occupational deafness ranks 3rd among occupational diseases and represents a cost of 100,000 euros per worker affected. Indeed, according to the report “Social cost of noise pollution” carried out by the National Council of
Bruit and ADEME, 19 billion euros would be induced by exposure to noise in the workplace: 18 billion in the tertiary sector under the loss of productivity; 1.2 billion for the cost of accidents at work and occupational deafness.
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