Employees at software company Opera Software in Oslo have complained of headaches and nausea in recent weeks. Construction work from the neighbouring building site, where the new condominiums known as Waldermars Hage are slowly taking shape, is making the noise level in the office unbearable for the workers, and it's now taking a toll on their health.
Ear protectors have become necessary at Opera Software's office in Waldemar Thranes Gate, but they can only do so much. Anne Christiansen Stavnes, human resources boss at Opera Software, said the noise is making employees ill and becoming a major financial strain on the company.
"We cannot stop working for a period of several weeks. But people are not able to concentrate," she told Aftenposten.
CEO of Opera, Jon S. von Tetzchner, said that he found the situation "extreme."
"Sometimes we feel pain in our ears when we sit next to a window," von Tetzchner said. "I find it worrying that we have not been able to communicate how difficult this situation is for us."
The software company has tried to take several steps to stop, or at least limit, the noise, but has so far had little success. In fact, their attempts to stop the noise have even seemed counterproductive. Last week, the entrepreneur in charge of the condominium project was given permission to continue work on the building site for another two weeks, only limited by a forced two-hour noise break between 8am and 5pm.
Entrepreneur Byggholt admitted that the noise level from the building site was "quite high," but said that his company was left with little choice but to go ahead with the construction work.
"I wish we could do this in the evenings, but then the residents in the area would suffer instead," he said.
Chief physician in Oslo, Eilif Rytter, said that it would be difficult to find an alternative to the present situation, but said he is dealing with the complaint from Opera regarding the unhealthy noise level.
