Despite efforts to mitigate audible dangers – assembly and machine tool operations, process equipment like compressors and blowers, material handling equipment, and power tools like saws and grinders – OSHA estimates that more than 30 million workers in industrial settings are exposed to hazardous levels of noise each year in the U.S.
In addition to long-term damage, OSHA warns that excessive noise can cause physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication and concentration, and contribute to workplace accidents and injuries.