How Are You Tackling Noise Pollution in Your Community? Share Your Experiences and Actions

Addressing Noise Pollution: A Call to Action

Friends, it is hot. It is serious! The time to act is now! Safety Officers may be aware of noise and its ill effects. But how many of you have studied noise and noise-induced hearing loss deeply? If you ever took up the issue seriously, what did you do in your industry for noise conservation, and what was the outcome?

More than that, the nuisance it creates outside the industry is grave. Public address systems in temples, mosques, political assemblies, and elsewhere are causing noise pollution freely, and the impact is serious. There are laws and even Supreme Court judgments against causing noise pollution.

How many of you have initiated any action against the noise created around your premises, or are you just helpless and suffering silently? Please write about your experience with noise pollution in your neighborhood. What action was initiated by you or anyone else, and what was the outcome?

I am engaged in a legal battle, and this menace needs to be dealt with seriously.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Nice to see you started a thread after a long time here. Let me share my experience regarding the subject matter.

Common Practices Related to Noise Pollution in Industries

In most industries, the following are common practices related to noise pollution:

- Providing enclosures to DG: This is mandatory as per rules.
- Placing signage at locations with high noise levels.
- Providing earplugs or earmuffs where needed: There is not much emphasis on enforcement, and workers wear them if they choose to.
- Area-specific PPE requirements outlined in the PPE matrix for each area/task, including the use of ear protection.
- Some industries have started installing earplug dispensers.
- Audiometry as part of annual medical check-ups: Only a few industries conduct this practice, and most do not compare the results with previous years to identify any variations.
- Ambient noise monitoring: Many industries perform this due to increasingly strict environmental regulations.
- Indoor workplace noise monitoring: Usually conducted using a Sound Level Meter for compliance purposes. Personal noise monitoring is not common, with measurements taken briefly at different distances from machines, followed by displaying the results and instructing workers to wear ear protection.

These are my current thoughts on industrial noise pollution control.

Noise Pollution in Public Places

Regarding noise pollution in public places, there doesn't seem to be much improvement despite the Supreme Court Order. There is still a long way to go.

I look forward to hearing the views of others and continuing the discussion.

Regards