White Noise and Its Potential Applications in Occupational Health: A Review

BACKGROUND: White noise (WN), because of its unique behavior and characteristics, has different applications in different sciences. Nevertheless, the results of studies and reviews of the literature on occupational safety and health found that this type of noise is often used as a noise source to assess the effects of hearing and its physical characteristics. Its possible applications in this area have not received as much attention. The present review study aimed to answer the question, “Can WN be used as a means of promoting occupational safety and health at the workplace?”. METHODS: In this review, we reviewed the articles published in reputable databases from 1990 to 2020. Our study included 33 articles from 120 that were searched in full text and followed the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Various applications were examined, including noise masking, white noise therapy, cognitive functions, and sleep. WN can enhance the work environment and meet occupational safety and health objectives based on the study's results. The results of this study will provide a basis for continuing research into the use of WN in the workplace as an engineering and management control method. CONCLUSION: WN is being used in various fields that may hold promise for its application in occupational health sciences and maintaining the well-being of workplace workers.