Warehouses are often noisy places. The constant movement of people and machinery, in a big echoey space, maybe with metal walls and roof, means workers can be exposed to high noise levels over the course of their shift. If your warehouse is combined with a manufacturing production line then the noise can be even higher.
Typical warehouse noise can be between 80 and 90 decibels – equivalent to a lawnmower or loud alarm clock https://www.noisehelp.com/noise-level-chart.html – not something you would want to be exposed to for several hours.
Protecting staff
One of the first things you can do is look at giving your staff some form of protection. Ear defenders are a common solution, particularly for people operating machinery like forklift trucks. However, you have to be careful not to completely block all sounds for safety reasons. You might consider an alternative like allowing staff to use portable MP3 players to listen to music as they work. Don’t be tempted to add to the problem by playing music over a PA system as this can make things worse.
You should also encourage your staff to get their hearing checked on a regular basis. Oddly enough, checking blood sugar levels is important too as raised blood sugar can often be a symptom of hearing problems like tinnitus or deafness.
Cutting noise directly
There are also some things you can do to try to cut overall noise levels. As well as racking and shelving Ireland based warehouses often contain things like conveyor belts. These can be a source of noise especially if they are driven by motors and belts. A roller conveyor that works on gravity alone is a much quieter option.
It may also be worth looking at applying to soundproof too, particularly noisy areas. With lots of metal racking and shelving Ireland based warehouses can cause noise to echo off the racking and the walls. This is a particular issue in corners. Hanging some sound absorbing material on bare walls, especially at the corners of the building, can help to stop sounds reverberating.
Something else you can look at is designating particular areas as quiet zones. This can be an office where people can go to complete their paperwork or a break room where staff can get away from the bustle and noise of the warehouse for a short period of time.
