Methodology for noise reduction in the workplace

In an increasingly industrialized world, with its many sources of pollution and nuisance, noise is perceived as a major nuisance by the individual citizen, worker or consumer.

Implementing an action plan to reduce noise levels in the workplace is often seen by company managers as a difficult and costly operation. This a priori judgment is often linked to a partial knowledge of the acoustic problem and to a poorly adapted integration of the latter into the planned development project.

Under no circumstances should noise be considered inevitable. Exposure to a probable auditory risk, to a noisy sound environment, is most often the result of poorly adapted organization, the presence of sources that are too noisy, premises that resonate, poor acoustic insulation between two adjacent premises, poorly laid-out spaces and even... bad habits! Adapting the sound environment of a location to the activity taking place there is an achievable challenge. There are ways to optimize organization, reduce noise emission from noise sources, muffle rooms, isolate rooms from each other, reorganize space in workplaces and in the environment of industrial sites.

Occupational health and the protection of the noise environment are issues that need to be taken into account, regardless of where in the world an industrial facility is located. International regulations and standards are becoming increasingly stringent and harmonized, particularly in Europe. With regard to environmental protection, the location of a plant and its integration into the environment are becoming strategic elements of a project. When it comes to protecting people in the workplace, new organizational structures - for example, by product line - make it difficult to assess noise exposure: it varies over time, and tolerable thresholds vary according to the mental workload required. Communication with third parties and the implementation of a participative, multi-disciplinary approach within companies have therefore become key factors in the success of industrial investment.

Acoustics is more than a science; it's a well-mastered technology, with engineering departments and companies skilled in the prescription and implementation of noise reduction solutions. Addressing the problem of noise in an industrial project often leads to choices of technology, organization and layout. Noise control is therefore part of a more global approach to protecting people in the workplace and the environment.

This article presents a methodology for reducing noise in the workplace. It is divided into four distinct parts. The first part introduces the various risks generated by noise in the workplace and the associated issues. The second part describes the context...