Study Finds Noisy Workplace Is Linked To Heart Disease

                               Asheville, NC (CompNewsNetwork) - A study of more than 6,000 U.S. workers found a persistently noisy workplace more than doubled serious heart disease risk. Researchers from the University of British Columbia compared two groups of workers -- one exposed to persistent loud noise to the extent that it was difficult to talk at normal volume for at least three months, and a second group that worked in quieter places.

Employees who worked in noisy workplaces were 2 to 3 times more likely to have serious heart problems than their counterparts in quiet workplaces according to the study published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.  Twenty-one percent of workers said they put up with a noisy workplace for an average of almost nine consecutive months. Most were men with an average age of 40, who tended to weigh more and smoke more -- both risk factors for heart disease -- than those who work in quieter place.

Researchers suggested loud noise might cause as much stress as sudden emotion or physical exertion, which prompt chemical responses that constrict blood flow to the coronary arteries.

This material is provided as general information and is not a substitute for legal or other professional advice.

 

Sign up for our monthly eBulletin on Workers' Compensation www.workcompprofessionals.com/ebulletin.html.


Preston Diamond is Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Institute of WorkComp Professionals, based in Asheville, NC. It trains, tests and certifies select insurance professionals to alert employers about the hidden costs and overcharges in the Workers' Compensation insurance system. He can be contacted at 828-274-0959 or preston@workcompprofessionals.com, www.workcompprofessionals.com

Read More

Request a Demo

To request a free demo of one of our products, please fill in this form. Our sales team will get back to you shortly.