Evaluation of Low-Frequency Noise, Infrasound, and Health Symptoms at an Administrative Building and Men's Shelter: A Case Study

Responses to complaints about low-frequency noise and infrasound at workplaces have not been extensively documented in the literature. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health evaluated low-frequency noise, infrasound, and health symptoms among employees of an organization providing services to homeless persons. The organization's campus was evacuated after two loud noise and vibration incidents related to methane flare on an adjacent landfill. Employees were interviewed about health symptoms, perceptions of noise, and how the incidents were handled. Available medical records were reviewed. Sound level and noise frequency measurements taken in vacated campus buildings not during these incidents revealed overall levels across frequencies up to 100 hertz were 64 to 73 dB, well below those associated with adverse health effects. However, an unbalanced frequency spectrum could have contributed to the unusual sounds or vibrations reported before the first incident. Some symptoms predating the incidents are consistent with low-frequency noise exposure but are also common and nonspecific. Most interviewed employees (57%) reported being uncomfortable returning to work on the campus. Multiple factors such as noise characteristics, health effects, and employee perceptions need to be considered when assessing health concerns related to low-frequency noise and infrasound.