Investing in noise control systems is like investing in anything. Involves comparing the initial noise control costs to the long-term economic benefits. When it comes to noise control, the benefits include enhanced productivity, increased efficiency, and improved employee satisfaction. Noise control systems also prevent costs associated with paying fines, worker’s compensation claims, and frequent employee turnover. Singer Safety Company understands the importance of balancing initial investment in noise control costs with long-term benefits.
Overview of Noise Control Costs
The initial costs vs. long-term savings of installing a noise control system vary based on the environment and requirements for noise control. Noise control solutions, including products part of Singer Safety’s Sound Stopper System, can range from $25 for to over $1000 for one piece of equipment. However, an efficient noise reduction system involves multiple pieces and types of equipment. Equipment such as acoustic screens and acoustic foams, working together to create a quieter environment.
The best way to understand the potential cost-benefit of investing in a noise control system is to request a quote describing your specifications and needs so the Singer Safety team can provide an estimated cost to start with. Overall, any level of noise reduction in a workplace can cost thousands of dollars. The installation cost may seem high, but the initial costs vs. long-term savings is something important to consider.
Costs of Exessive Noise
Failure to invest in a noise control system can cost employers through worker’s compensation and healthcare payments, increased rates of employee turnover, regulatory fines, and decreased productivity.
Healthcare
Noise control leads to healthcare cost reductions for employees. Excessive noise levels in a workplace can lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss, as well as increased stress and fatigue, sleep issues, and other health concerns. An employee suffering from hearing loss on the job leads to worker’s compensation payments. Not only will there be the cost of the actual payments, but the economic impact of the time and personnel, including lawyers, working with a worker’s compensation case. Employers in the United States spend an estimated combined $242 million annually on workers’ compensation for hearing loss. Noise control healthcare cost reductions are not just for hearing damage. Healthcare costs related to stress-induced health concerns, excessive fatigue, and any injury or accident that leads to are also part of the noise control cost-benefit equation.
Employee Turnover
The impacts of a noisy work environment result in more employee turnover. Employees suffering from increased stress, fatigue, irritability, sleep problems, and other impacts of excessive noise exposure are more likely to find a new place to work. Between recruitment, the hiring process, training, and paperwork, it costs American employers an average of $4000 to onboard new employees.
Fines and Regulations
Other noise control cost savings include not having to pay regulatory fines for noise-related offenses. OSHA occupation noise level penalties include a maximum fine of $16,131 per violation and up to $161,232 for a repeated or willful violation. An OSHA citation or violation will need to be corrected, meaning noise control systems will need to be installed anyway. In addition to financial penalties, willful OSHA violations are considered a criminal offense and can lead to jail time. Noise ordinance laws and regulations vary across municipalities, and average fines range from around $100 to $500 for a first violation. This violations can also result in jail time, especially with multiple offenses.
Noise Control and Productivity
In any workplace, noise control leads to productivity boosts and impacts efficiency. Excessive noise is known to increase stress levels, impair focus and cognitive function, increase distractions, and even impact sleep schedules leading to increased fatigue. All of these effects of noise mean lower levels of productivity, less efficiency, and even less quality work. Excessive noise can also impact productivity by hindering communication between employees, disrupting workflow, and causing delays.
Even in an office space, the sounds of keyboards, phones, and conversations can lower productivity, especially in open-layout offices. Sound masking, or the use of white noise to drown out distracting sounds, can increase office productivity by 38% while also reducing stress and drastically increasing job satisfaction.
Employees in a safety-conscious environment are more satisfied with their jobs and their workplace. The happier employees are at work; the more work is done.
Additional Noise Control Costs
The Initial costs vs. long-term savings of noise control are not just about installing noise control systems. Other noise control methods, such as upgrading to newer, quieter machines and equipment and maintaining the current equipment, all impact the overall noise control cost.
Proper maintenance of machinery and equipment extends the lifetime of the product, reducing long-term costs. Maintenance also means less downtime due to broken equipment or repairs taking place.
Upgrading machinery to newer, quieter equipment can have a high initial cost but long-term benefits. Newer equipment is generally more efficient overall, but that is not the only cost benefit.
Replacing machinery with a quieter product saves money by reducing the amount of noise control necessary, limiting possible workers’ compensation claims and associated healthcare costs, and saving time previously spent fixing and fighting with broken-down equipment.
Conservative estimates are around $100 per dB of savings when purchasing quieter equipment. While replacing equipment all at once can be a massive upfront cost. Slowly upgrading equipment over time can result in high long-term cost benefits. Even taking into account the time spent training employees and adapting to new equipment, the upgrades result in a financial benefit.
Singer Safety Company
Singer Safety Company has been in the occupational safety business for over 70 years. We are committed to providing our customers with outstanding barrier protection products designed to create a safe and productive work environment. Our team understands the noise control productivity boosts and the overall noise control costs and benefits. We know that choosing noise control products requires balancing your workplace needs with your budget. Our team is ready to help determine the best cost-friendly noise control system setup for your environment.
