Impulse noise can be a dangerous distraction as well as an obvious hazard to one’s hearing. Think of how you flinch when hearing an unexpected siren, gun discharge, dropped dishes in a restaurant, squealing brakes in the distance, a jackhammer, fingernails scratching a chalk bulletin board, heavy stamping machinery or other sharp, alarming sounds.
This kind of noise can easily break one’s concentration and focus. And in that split-second of unawareness, you might swerve if driving a forklift, slip while climbing, lose your balance, lose you line of sight, or put your hands and fingers in harm’s way if operating machinery or working an assembly line.