Protect your employees from excessive noise.
Material handling and distribution facilities can be loud — teeth-rattlingly and eardrum-piercingly LOUD. Noise like that isn’t just annoying; it can be dangerous for workers, causing severe and debilitating harm.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) sets standards for noise exposure to protect worker safety. If the workspace regularly experiences noise higher than 85 decibels, then the employer needs to implement a noise conservation program. That’s the highest recommended human limit, and the sound of standing beside a rattling snowblower or lawnmower over an 8-hour period
Distribution and material handling facilities regularly experience noise levels much higher than this. This loud noise is not only harmful to employees but also impacts productivity.
There are simple steps that distributors and site managers can take to mitigate noise.
Causes of and Solutions for Noise in Distribution Centers
While protective gear for workers and scheduling can mitigate some noise, it’s also possible to directly address the root cause of noise on the job site. These root causes include:
Conveyor Systems
Belt and roller conveyors are one of the simplest and most common systems today. They are also a primary reason for the high levels of background noise in a distribution facility. The belt, which carries packages, uses strips to protect the belt as it carries packages and then is looped over wheels or rollers to make its way back. Ball bearings, commonly used in the wheels or rollers, reduce friction but cause noise when in motion. The movement of the belt carrying the packages can also cause a continuous loop of noise that can harm employees working nearby.
Adjusting the design or mechanics may reduce conveyor noise, but it is a very expensive project. Eliminating the ball-bearing rollers will also drastically reduce the noise at a potentially lower cost by using replacement products like Crown’s Silent Rollers. In addition, you can add UHMW Slider Strips to help protect the belt and reduce noise further.
Forklifts, Pallet Trucks, and Moving Equipment
Forklifts and pallet trucks in distribution centers have been shown to increase noise levels drastically. Idling diesel trucks, for example, increase noise by at least 85 dBA in the enclosed loading and unloading areas on top of any other ambient noise in the facility.
Reducing the travel speeds of equipment like forklifts will reduce noise. Moving to an electric engine, rather than a propane or diesel engine, will also reduce noise levels. To reduce noise exposure, look at scheduling forklift work in areas with fewer workers.
Loading and Unloading Parcels
Often used to unload trucks and vehicles, metal ramps significantly cause noise. As packages move down the ramp, the metal will vibrate, which causes noise as it echoes in the facility. Doors, which are also made of metal, rattle and create noise when they are opened or closed.
Scheduling shipments and loading and unloading pallets and trucks around other work will mitigate noise exposure. Fewer people in the area of the work will mean less noise exposure. Automatic doors are another way to reduce noise when loading and unloading packages.
Warehouse Chutes
Similar to parcel loading and unloading, chutes can be a significant source of background noise in a facility. The metal tubes vibrate on impact, with the vibration echoing around the open spaces.
UHMW chute liners are typically used to reduce friction on the chutes to keep products and packages moving quickly, but they are also virtually noiseless. They offer silicone-impregnated options, with an adhesive backing and a self-start grade of 9%. They protect your chutes better while reducing the noise.
Fans and Environmental Equipment
Fans and other equipment and machinery are going to create a steady background noise that can compound noise problems at the facility.
When possible, separating noise-producing equipment will reduce noise hazards and minimize exposure. Designate quiet and quiet work areas and allow workers shifts in areas with less noise. In areas where there is more noise, for example, near fans and air compressor equipment, you can use noise-dampening walls and UHMW pads between the fan mount and steel to reduce vibrations or increase protective gear.
Address Noise Issues Quickly and Efficiently
As a business, your employees are your most important investment, and you should do everything you can to protect them. That includes reducing harmful noise in your distribution facility. Rather than risking high-cost facility upgrades with significant downtime or fines from regulatory agencies, stay on top of noise management strategies. Review the current noise at your facility and look for every opportunity where you can reduce noise.
Don’t rely on just protective gear or employee action to manage noise. Make it a priority at your facility to increase productivity and worker satisfaction. Contact Crown Plastics to learn more.