You let fly with some choice words more harsh than "freaking heck".

A new survey has revealed that the average worker swears 55 times a week in the workplace, or more than 2500 times a year. Holy moly.

No BS, supervisors and line managers were the most likely to fire off a barrage of expletives. The most-frequently used swear word was the F-bomb.

And damn it, only a paltry 19 per cent of survey participants said they tried not to swear around colleagues.

At a time when workplace cultures are evolving into more relaxed atmospheres, the rules around inappropriate language also seem to be changing.

Some experts argue workplace swearing has been normalised, based on a tenfold increase in the swear-cabulary.

While workers were once limited to a handful of expletives of varying levels of crudeness that received significant office airplay, mutants of traditional swear words are now commonplace. Think variants of the common expletive sh*t such as sh*tface, sh*tbag, sh*thole and sh*thead, and douchebag and its cousins douche nozzle and douche face.

Some experts argue swearing helps us to withstand pain.

Participants in one study, who were permitted to swear repeatedly, were able to keep their hands plunged in freezing water for longer than those who were not allowed to use bad language. That is no balderdash.

Occasional swearing in the workplace may help manage frustration and build social bonds with colleagues. And aggressive swearing may even act as a strong warning signal to bosses that something is awry with an individual or a team.

Not surprisingly, there is an opposing view.

The same survey that identified the pervasiveness of swearing in the workplace also revealed that among a range of workplace "dos" and "don'ts" - think visible tattoos, unusual hair colours, non-traditional piercings and bringing pets into the workplace - bad language was considered the least acceptable behaviour.

It is no BS to suggest that some workplaces are more exposed to colleagues swearing than others.

While swearing in a conversational way with your colleague on a mine site might not ring alarm bells, the use of vulgarities in schools or hospitals will usually be considered unprofessional, highly inappropriate and possibly in breach of a code of conduct.

Regardless of whether swearing is tolerated, it will come down to the work context in which expletives are used, who the words are directed at, how others in earshot react, and the overall tone used to deliver those words.

For example, swearing in front of clients is never wise as it runs the risk of damaging an organisation's reputation.

Swearing at a colleague in a forceful and threatening way is not acceptable and, if done regularly, might constitute workplace bullying while crude language is often linked to sexual harassment.

And it is highly unlikely your colleagues will be impressed by your extensive knowledge of profanity.

Some will consider that an excessive use of bad language highlights a person's insecurity.

Others believe too much swearing shows an absence of emotional intelligence or is the hallmark of a person who is out of control.

Some consider a potty mouth erodes a person's credibility, particularly when that person holds a more senior role.

Regardless of the work context, some expletives will raise the ire of colleagues and your employer more than others.

If and when you have the desire to let loose colourful or crude language in your workplace, be career-wise and keep in mind that not all swearing is created equal.

And if in doubt, use those less-offensive alternatives like bulldust, shivers, heck, geez, balderdash and gosh to animate or draw attention to your thoughts.