Industrial Noise Levels in Bangladesh; is Worker Health at Risk?

This study assessed the environmental noise of select industries in Chittagong city and tried to relate the findings with occupational health to evaluate the vulnerability of workers toward possible health injuries. Sound levels were measured based on industry types and zones within industries. Eight different industries of the Nasirabad area were selected, divided into three zones, and categorized as steel, garments, and aluminium industries. The mean maximum and minimum sound levels ranged between 77.26 to 96.53 and 67.71 to 86.62 dBA, respectively. Sound levels also varied significantly (p < 0.05) within the same and between the different zones. From median observation, 25th and 75th percentiles maximum and minimum sound levels again showed a significant (p = 0.00) variation for different types of industries. The overall analysis of this study could be regarded as arbitrary baseline data for further studies or concerned stakeholders in Chittagong city.