The Effect of Occupational Noise Exposure on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate among Workers of a Steel Industry

Exposure to high levels of noise causes physical, psychological, and behavioral responses. It also affects cardiovascular and respiratory systems in both animals and humans. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of noise exposure on blood pressure and heart rate in a steel industry. In the present descriptive analytical and cross-sectional study, 50 workers were selected from a steel company in Fars province as a case group. They were exposed to 85, 95, and 105 dB noise for 5 minutes in 3 days at controlled laboratory condition. Demographic information of the subjects was gathered through a questionnaire. Blood pressure and heart rate of the participants were measured both before and after the exposure using a pulse meter. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS software. Paired t-test was applied to evaluate blood pressure and heart rate variations. Comparing to before exposure time, systolic blood pressure of the exposed workers was increased and heart rate was decreased; however, the differences were not statistically significant. The study findings were in agreement with the results of the previous studies. According to the results, no considerable changes were observed in blood pressure and heart rate after acute exposure to noise at levels of 85, 95, and 105 dB.