It is an opportunity to provide more information on this subject and to help supervisors and operators to adopt the right reflexes. With more than 64% of employees affected by noise pollution in 20171, noise is omnipresent in construction. Sometimes neglected in the field, its consequences on the health of operators are nevertheless very real. Aware of this issue, the profession is mobilizing to remind everyone that many prevention solutions exist and to facilitate access to them.
Supporting professionals through a national awareness campaign
The national campaign "Against noise, I act" aims first and foremost to make all construction professionals aware of this major risk, by reminding them of the importance of collective prevention and by presenting them the scope of existing solutions. to adopt the right reflexes. Secondly, the Organization sets itself the objective of promoting the most effective personal protection against noise (HPD) and to facilitate their acquisition.
To best protect professionals, the OPPBTP recalls the main prevention principles to be implemented. After having assessed the risks on the ground, companies have numerous collective protection measures in order to act at the source and avoid harmful exposure for operators. In a second step and if the noise persists, PPE can protect employees from noise pollution to which they are inevitably exposed.
Perform a risk assessment
The risk assessment is the starting point of the prevention approach and its implementation. Establishing an upstream diagnosis then makes it possible to define the measures necessary to protect operators. The employer must therefore identify the most exposed workstations and the equipment which represents the main sources of noise pollution. To do this, he must characterize the noise sources, distinguish continuous noise from impulsive noise, carry out measurements using a sound level meter and take into account the average duration of the work affected by the nuisance. Assessment tools and action plan are available on the preventionbtp.fr website.
Invest in the right equipment
From the established diagnosis, the first measure to be implemented is to act at the source of the noise, taking it into account among the purchase criteria during the material investment. The Organization therefore recommends equipping tools with the best acoustic performance based on the indications given by the manufacturer, appearing on the instructions and labeling. In addition, certain types of equipment are preferred. For example, thermal or pneumatic machines can be replaced by less noisy electrics. It is also possible to make enclosures for certain machines in order to isolate them acoustically.
Adapt work and activity organization
In a second step, the organization of work must be optimized so as to reduce as much as possible the time of exposure to noise from operators. For this, it is necessary to physically distinguish on site the noisiest operations from those which are not. Scheduling tasks can also allow employees to alternate between noisy and quiet activities to avoid overexposure. This organizational reflection thus benefits not only the health of employees, but also productivity on site.
Use personal protective equipment
If despite these precautions, operators are still exposed to noise exposure above the 81 dB threshold of harmfulness, it then becomes essential to equip them with personal protection. These must imperatively be worn throughout the duration of the exhibition and be adapted to the working conditions and to the people who wear them. The Organization insists in particular on the fact that overprotection is useless, even counterproductive. “It is important to determine the adequate acoustic attenuation, depending on the task performed and the working environment in which the operator operates. Otherwise, he may no longer hear anything around him and no longer be able to communicate with his colleagues, which would dissuade him from wearing PPE. »Specifies Mohamed Trabelsi, Head of the PPE area at the Technical Department of the OPPBTP.
A partnership to facilitate the equipment of professionals
Faced with the great diversity of existing PPE, the campaign "Against noise, I act" aims to support professionals in their choice and promote access to adequate equipment. Thus, the OPPBTP approached 9 partner manufacturers and distributors: 3M, Cotral, Earsonic, Auditech-Innovation, Interson, Uvex, MSA, Delta Plus and RG group. This collaboration will allow companies to benefit from exclusive promotional offers, always with the aim of facilitating the acquisition of PPE.
Together, the OPPBTP and its partners have chosen to promote the most effective protective equipment. We thus find:
- Personalized plugs that filter out only the noises that attack the ear while maintaining classic communication.
- The ear muffs which have the advantage of being particularly resistant and easy to adjust.
- Electronic noise canceling headphones that provide better sound reproduction apart from surrounding noise. They can also be communicating to maintain contact between the operator and his team.
“We are committed to supporting companies in an active approach to equipping their employees when it is necessary. By joining forces with manufacturers and suppliers of individual noise protection devices, we wish to facilitate the acquisition of these protections together and to take a step further towards optimal protection for professionals. "
Paul Duphil, Secretary General of the OPPBTP
The campaign provides for a multimedia promotion operation, designed by the OPPBTP and its partners, with various communication tools and devices.
An operational promotional kit will be deployed to construction professionals. The latter is composed of:
- Posters and stickers to encourage construction professionals in the field to display their commitment "against noise, I act",
- Of a short video whose ambition is viralization on social networks,
- Banners to capture professionals in their web browsing universe (media, rental partners, etc.),
- A web page to provide advice by recalling the general principles of prevention and making the link with the offers of partners on personal protective equipment,
- An explanatory letter sent to 240 construction companies.
Professional and employee organizations as well as occupational health services are mobilizing to support and relay this campaign.
Noise, a major risk still too often forgotten
Noise constitutes a major nuisance in the professional environment. Prolonged exposure can cause permanent hearing loss and other associated risks, such as fatigue, stress, balance problems, or cardiovascular problems. In the building and public works sector, it also shortens alertness and concentration in the short term, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.
However, construction professionals are particularly exposed to noise pollution. In fact, there are many sources of noise on construction sites or in workshops (noisy work environment, drilling equipment or machines, public works machines, thermal engine equipment, motorized equipment, power tools, etc.). This places construction at the top of the sectors most affected by noise risk. When used daily, most of these tools produce more than 81 dB, the level at which irreversible hearing damage is likely to occur.
“Noise is sometimes overlooked in the construction sector because it is already very exposed to many other risks, often perceived as priorities. In addition, professionals tend to minimize the risk linked to noise because its consequences on health have no immediate effect. Unfortunately, hearing loss is already real and irreversible when affected people begin to realize the difficulties they are experiencing, hence the importance of putting in place preventive measures. "
Antoine Hauter, occupational physician
1 Source: Sumer Survey 2017 on working conditions