This article will discuss the importance of active noise control efforts in chemical processing plants and other manufacturing environments. One of the best ways of protecting your workers’ hearing is through the use of noise blocking curtains and other noise control products like PPE and more.
What Is A Noise Control System?
Before we get started on a discussion of noise cancelling curtains in chemical processing plants, it is important to first understand what a noise control system is and how industrial curtains can play into that system.
Noise control systems and products work to reduce noise pollution in a workplace or any other facility. From manufacturing plants to churches or offices, noise control is essential anywhere. It is built to protect people’s hearing when faced with loud noises, like those that come from heavy machinery or speakers.
There are a variety of different noise control products that can contribute to your sound-reducing system, such as:
- Noise control curtains
- Fiberglass panels
- Ceiling baffles
- Acoustic foams
- Acoustic screens
Why Do Manufacturers Need Soundproof Curtains?
So, what is it about manufacturing plants specifically that calls for active noise control? Specifically, it all comes down to the concept of factory noise.
Factory noise is created by all of the different tools, machines, vehicles, and other activities that contribute to noise levels in your workplace. When the sound is too loud or too persistent, it can cause severe mental and even physical harm to your workers.
Some of the harmful effects of factory noise include:
- Temporary or permanent hearing loss
- Hearing damage
- Sleep disturbances
- High blood pressure
- Distraction and difficulty focusing
- Stress and anxiety
Noise reducing curtains are just one way to reduce the risk of these types of negative effects.
Manufacturing Noise Statistics
In order to fully understand the importance of noise cancelling curtains in the manufacturing industry, here are some of the statistics you should know about noise and its dangers for your workers.
Roughly 46% of all manufacturing workers have been exposed to hazardous noise. Approximately 28% of these noise-exposed manufacturing workers have reported not wearing proper hearing protection. This is one way that noise blocking curtains can be so valuable, as a means of noise protection when workers do not wear the proper equipment.
About 18% of all manufacturing workers have hearing difficulty, and about 11% of all manufacturing workers have tinnitus. Protecting your workers from these types of injuries is essential.
Noise Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing
What about chemical processing and manufacturing environments makes them so severe when it comes to noise pollution? Active noise control is important in chemical processing because of the following noise creators:
- Large processing plant machinery, such as vacuum pumps and compressors
- The movement of raw materials and goods to and from a site
- The use of large vehicles on site, especially those with reversing alarms
Chemical processing can also cause strong vibrations, which can create constant sound and physically cause disturbance. All of these loud noises are incessant and constant, especially the vibrations and manufacturing machinery like compressors or pumps, which run virtually nonstop in these types of processing plants. Noise cancelling curtains can help reduce the impact of these hazardous noises.
How Noise Reducing Curtains Protect Workers and Equipment
So, what are the primary benefits of using soundproof curtains in your workplace? There are three primary benefits that can help increase the safety in your workplace:
- Improving safety by preventing hearing damage or loss, as well as improving focus and reducing the risk of accidents in the workplace due to poor communication.
- Improved productivity by enhancing concentration and communication between workers.
- Reduced noise pollution, which helps reduce noise levels not only for your workers but also for people outside of your facility.
Noise cancelling curtains are just one excellent way to improve working conditions and increase productivity. Essentially, the strength and weave of the curtains allow sound to be absorbed instead of bouncing off or passing through. This means you can use them to absorb sound in one area or block noise from bleeding into another area of your facility.
Other Uses For Noise Blocking Curtains
Beyond just active noise control, like preventing hearing damage and reducing noise pollution, noise blocking curtains serve other purposes as well. Specifically, one excellent way you can use noise-cancelling curtains in your workplace is to enhance privacy in a variety of different settings.
You can use noise-reducing curtains to create private enclosures where sound cannot travel in or out. This is excellent when you need a private meeting room so others cannot listen in. Otherwise, they can also make for an excellent break room or locker room, where workers can take a minute to relax and rest without hearing the loud noises from the work floor.
Additional Hearing Protection For Workers
Noise cancelling curtains are one of the best ways that you can protect your workers in any chemical processing plant or any manufacturing facility. However, noise reducing curtains should not be the only way you are protecting your workers. In addition to these curtains, make sure that your workers are using the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent any additional damage to their hearing or their overall health.
Hearing PPE to wear in chemical processing facilities includes:
- Earplugs
- Formable foam earplugs
- Pre-molded earplugs
- Canal caps
- Protective earmuffs
Personal protective gear is essential regardless of industry; it is the first step in keeping your workers safe. Industrial curtains and other forms of support should be secondary.
Hearing Safety With Singer
Active noise control is a game-changer when it comes to worker safety in chemical processing plants. Because of the constant use of large machines like processors, pumps, and more, there is always a lot of excessive noise in these facilities. Using soundproof curtains is one great way to help reduce noise pollution in your workplace. At Singer Safety, we specialize in noise control solutions for any business. Contact us today.
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