External cost of noise effect on construction workers using impact pathway approach

Abstract

Noise from construction activities are often be associated with the use of equipments and machineries. The noise from the construction activities could potentially have a negative impact to the construction workers and publics. The negative effect can also be seen in terms of the cost to be borne by the workers and publics. The cost is known as external cost or externality cost. The costs are the result of the actions from economic actors that can influence the well-being of others that has nothing to do with the activity. This study was carried out to examine and evaluate the external costs borne by the affected construction site workers due to the construction sites noise generated from the use of equipments and machineries. Impact Pathway Approach (IPA) was used in this study. IPA was conducted in three main steps, (i) measuring volume level of sound generated from the equipments and machineries used in construction site (ii) determine the impact of noise to the construction site workers and (iii) evaluate the effects of noise in term of the costs incurred by the affected employees. The data used in this study was obtained from the recorded noise levels of machineries used during the activities of building sub-structure works at few construction sites in Johor Bahru. External costs data were extracted from a series of claims made by affected workers for the compensation of hearing loss through the Malaysian Social Security Organisation (SOCSO). Besides, market surveys for the cost of hearing aids were also conducted as part of the estimation the external costs. The results showed that the external costs borne by the affected workers are high. Estimated external costs were varies in between RM151, 321.36 to 908,701.44 depending on several factors such as the levels of hearing loss and age of the affected workers.