Ways to Minimize Noise Pollution During Construction

If you’ve been paying attention lately, you probably heard a lot about noise pollution. Noise pollution is defined as sound that generates discomfort to the ears. Unlike with other industries, activities in the construction industry aren’t stationary and tend to generate a lot of noise. However, construction companies are trying to fight noise pollution and there are quite a few ways to minimize it during construction. If you’re running a construction company, here are five ways you might want to take a closer look at.

Choose the right equipment

Right now, people are aiming at reducing noise pollution as much as possible. This means companies that manufacture construction equipment have been working on designing quieter equipment. These are mostly machines that come with higher engineering tolerances or quieter cooling fans. The only problem is that such machines usually come with a hefty price tag and not all construction companies out there can afford them. It should also be mentioned that equipment designed specifically to reduce noise pollution can help you save money in the long run. This is the case if you opt to invest in these, you don’t have to spend a lot on hearing protection equipment for your employees which can sometimes be pretty expensive.

Update your current equipment

If you’ve just invested in construction equipment, replacing it with machines designed specifically to reduce noise pollution doesn’t make much sense. However, what you can do is update you can make modifications that’ll help you control the noise level on construction site. For example, there are silencers you can install on some of your machines in order to reduce the noise they make. Also, it’s recommended that you check if all the bolts are tightened as often as possible. Another good idea is to lubricate the parts of your machines on a regular basis. If any of your machines gets damaged, you should consider repairing them as damaged equipment usually produces more noise.

Turn to professionals

Reducing noise pollution in construction may sometimes seem a lot easier than it actually is. Not to mention that there are regulations that have to be met and not every construction business owner knows how to do it. This is why there are companies that specialize in environmental noise control. A lot of these companies have been operating for quite some time and they know exactly what to do to help you reduce the noise level on your construction sites. So, if you want to make sure your construction company doesn’t produce more noise than it’s supposed to, referring to their expertise is something you just can’t go wrong with.

Know how to schedule

With the right schedule, the noise level on your construction sites can be much lower. The idea behind this is to make sure your employees never perform operations that generate a lot of noise at the same time. Also, it’s a good idea to limit the number of employees on site when any noisy operation is being carried out. This doesn’t only protect your employees from health issues such as hearing loss, sleep disturbance and tinnitus but it also means you don’t have to spend a real fortune on hearing protection equipment. Last but not least, you can also have your employees move from high noise tasks to low noise ones as that helps them reduce prolonged sound exposure.

Investing in personal protection equipment

We already mentioned that there’s equipment that can help you protect your employees from extremely loud noises. We’re talking about personal protection equipment such as earmuffs and ear plugs. However, it’s important to mention that these little things should only be used as a last resort. The nature of the construction industry is such that high noise levels sometimes can’t be avoided and, in such situations, using personal protection equipment is a must. If you decide to have your employees use these, it’s important to ensure their personal protection equipment doesn’t impede other PPE. Of course, investing in high-quality personal protection equipment is recommended.

Working on reducing noise pollution is an important part of running a construction business. So, no matter for how long you’ve been operating, it’s recommended that you do everything you can to minimize noise pollution during construction.