Tuesday, February 9 2010

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COMPLAINING OF NOISE: Vera McEachrane....

Vera McEachrane, 70, said she has not been able to sleep ever since a church moved into the building next to her house at Betsy Street, La Romaine.

The pensioner told Newsday that the loud drumming during the church’s worship sessions was taking a toll on her health.

“I don’t know what to do again,” the elderly woman complained.

“I’m going mad. The drumming is affecting my nerves and I can’t rest whenever they have church.”

McEachrane said she has complained to the police and the Environmental Manage-ment Authority about the loud noise.

“The police came once and spoke to them but the drumming never stopped. I went to EMA and all they did was acknowledge my complaint.”

Yolanda Olliviere, whose son is the leader of the St Ann’s Spiritual Baptist Church, said no one else has complained about the church services.

“We only have church on a Tuesday night and it starts at 7 pm and finishes at 10 pm.”

There was an extended service on Saturday night but Olliviere said they only used one drum and there is no noise as McEachrane’s alleges.

According to internet research, noise health effects, are the health consequences of elevated sound levels. Elevated workplace or other noise can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, annoyance, sleep disturbance and decreased school performance.

Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure, but evidence is limited.

In many developed nations, the cumulative impact of noise is sufficient to impair the hearing of a large fraction of the population over the course of a lifetime. Noise exposure has also been known to induce hypertension vasoconstriction and other cardiovascular impacts.

Beyond these effects, elevated noise levels can create stress, increase workplace accident rates, and stimulate aggression and other anti-social behaviours.