Did you know that 22 million workers each year suffer damaged hearing due to noise pollution?
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that companies paid penalties up to $1.5 million in a single year for not protecting their workers from noise. Hearing loss disability accounts for an estimated $242 million annually.
High noise pollution levels damage the health of workers and can result in heavy fines if noise control measures are not put in place. Noise reducing barriers and curtains solve both these challenges for companies.
What Noise Levels are too High?
The decibel value range (dBA) measures the relative loudness of sounds as perceived by the human ear. Every change of 10dBA represents a doubling of perceived sound volume. An office conversation takes place at about 60dBA. A food blender generates 90dBA of noise at three feet distance. This means that a blender sounds eight times louder than an office conversation.
Mechanical and industrial equipment generate high volume noise. A flat saw cutting a concrete slab has a decibel value of 110dBA, which is the same as a jet flying overhead at 1000 feet.
Noise Reduction Barriers and Curtains
BCI Noise Reduction Barriers provide noise control by addressing the issue at the source. They absorb sound energy and keep noise from affecting surrounding workers or bystanders.
Composed of lightweight, fully waterproof and fire-retardant material, noise reduction barriers are easy to install on fencing or any similar structure. One or two qualified people are enough to erect a noise reducing barrier or curtain around any noise source. The hook and loop fasteners allow almost no noise to pass through joins from one sound barrier to the next.
Using a BCI Noise Reducing Barrier lowers the decibel reading of a flat saw cutting a slab by half. Instead of sounding like a jet at 1000 feet, it sounds like a gas-powered lawnmower. A 90-lb. jackhammer surrounded by noise reducing barriers sounds more like a kitchen blender.
An Opportunity in Construction Equipment Rental with Noise Barriers
Statistics show that construction companies rent 40% of the equipment they use and that number could rise in future. Potential rental items include everything from forklifts and graders to smaller compacting machinery. Many of these items produce enough noise to damage the ears of users and bystanders.
Without noise reducing barriers, construction companies have limited options to solve noise pollution:
- Use smaller equipment to lower the noise (but extend the duration of the job)
- Move the noisy equipment as far away from people as possible
- Work after hours to avoid affecting office staff with the noise
But, what if equipment rental companies rented out noise reducing barriers along with their equipment?
Noise reducing curtains come in single panels for small areas. Sound reducing quilts come in three panel lengths and are suitable to enclose a larger area. These products can be packaged and rented along with construction equipment to offer noise control.
Adding noise reducing barriers to their offerings will add income to equipment rental companies. It will also educate the construction industry about the hazards of noise pollution. Making noise reducing barriers available can improve occupational health across the whole industry.
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Provide Noise Control for your Customers Today
BCI offers a comprehensive range of sound barriers. Our versatile Soundex® noise control barriers, curtains and quilts provide the perfect solution to noise pollution. Contact us today to add noise reduction barriers to your product offerings.
References
- NIOSH. Noise and hearing loss prevention
- OSHA. Occupational Noise Exposure
- BCI. Sound Barriers Sell Sheet
- MacAllister Rental. Rental Equipment that will give you the best Bang for your Buck