• April 29, 2024

Noise affects labor productivity? Various studies reveal that sounds generated by hearing aids, high volume of screens or ambient sound; Telephone bells and alarms, as well as shouting between employees and the shrillness of the exterior cause a loss of up to 33% in efficiency.

"The staff loses concentration, suffers stress, falls into conflicts or attitude problems, fails to meet their goals and is vulnerable to diseases such as sensory hearing loss or decreased hearing, headache and fatigue," he says. Jonathan Salomón, general director and specialist in hearing of Comaudi .

The specialist explains that people who work in offices are exposed to noise that reaches between 60 and 80 decibels, when they should not exceed 10 to 30 decibels.

For example, he points out, it is enough to know that the horn of a car generates 100 decibels and the use of hearing aids -to listen- adds between 60 and 70 decibels.

The problem, he said, is that only 30% of companies are aware of this situation and most realize until their workers get sick, have a crisis due to pre-existing diseases: diabetes, blood pressure, gastrointestinal ills or stress.

6 tips to improve your work performance

To revert the labor damages caused by the noise and the loss of hearing, it is recommended to the companies and employees:

1. Do an analysis of the work environment. Infrastructure of the office, furniture distribution and noise level that prevails inside the work areas.

2. Look for advice. A real estate firm, engineers or specialists in the subject will help you to solve each of the points of auditory risk, from changes in the distribution of furniture or installation of materials that absorb sound, to the replacement of alarms, air conditioning systems or ambient sound equipment, exceeding 30 or 40 decibels.

3. Create coexistence manuals among employees. The aim is to reduce the sounds caused by screaming, unauthorized furniture change, opening windows, playing music on the computer and recommendations on the correct use of hearing aids.

4. Promotes an annual medical checkup for employees. It will allow identifying and avoiding risks associated with hearing loss, chronic degenerative diseases, stress, depression and, therefore, the reduction of disabilities, staff turnover and loss of productivity.

5. Create training programs , promotion of sports activities, recreation and dynamics that improve the environment in the office and coexistence among workers.

6. Go to the doctor with the following alarms : poor concentration or irritability due to noise, problems listening to their peers less than a meter away, loss of contact with other people through the use of headphones or environmental music equipment, isolation and the need to see the face of other people understand what they say or speak to you.

Jonatan Solomon, indicates that 80% of Mexicans, from 28 to 50 years of age, located in the Economically Active Population (EAP), suffer some type of hearing loss that affects their work efficiency and personal development. And you, how do you take care of your hearing health and improve your work productivity?
 

Video Medicine: How to Ace Your Performance Review: 6 Tips (April 2024).