Industry and Noise Control

Characteristics of sound

• Sound is any change in pressure that can be detected by

the ear. Typically, sound is a change in air pressure.
However, it can also be a change in water pressure or any
other pressure-sensitive medium. Noise is unwanted
sound. Consequently, the difference between noise and
sound is in the perception of the person hearing it.

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Characteristics of sound

• The eardrum senses as fluctuations in atmospheric

pressure. The eardrum responds to these fluctuations
in atmospheric pressure by vibrating. These vibrations
are carried to the brain in the form of neural
sensations and interpreted as sound.
• Sound and vibration are very similar. Sound typically
relates to a sensation that is perceived by the inner
ear as hearing.

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Characteristics of sound

• Sound can occur in any medium that has both mass and
elasticity (air, water, and so on).
• It occurs as elastic waves that cross over (above and
below) a line representing normal atmospheric pressure.

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Characteristics of sound

• The unit of measurement used for discussing the level of

sound and, correspondingly, what noise levels are
hazardous is the decibel, or one-tenth of a bel.

• One decibel represents the smallest difference in the level

of sound that can be perceived by the human ear.

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Characteristics of sound

• The weakest sound that can be heard by a healthy human

ear in a quiet setting is known as the threshold of hearing
(1dBA).

• The maximum level of sound that can be perceived without

experiencing pain is known as the threshold of pain
(140dBA)

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Characteristics of sound

• The three broad types of industrial noise are described as

follows:

• Wide band noise

• Narrow band noise
• Impulse noise

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Characteristics of sound

• Wide band noise is noise that is distributed over a wide

range of frequencies. Most noise from manufacturing
machines is wide band noise.
• Narrow band noise is noise that is confined to a narrow
range of frequencies. The noise produced by power tools
is narrow band noise.
• Impulse noise consists of transient pulses that can occur
repetitively or nonrepetitively. (jackhammer)

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Characteristics of sound

Source decibels (dBA)

Whisper 20
Quiet library 30
Quiet office 50
Normal conversation 60
Vacuum cleaner 70
Noisy office 80
Power saw 90
Chain saw 90
Grinding operations 100
Passing truck 100
Gunshot blast 140
Jet aircraft 150
Rocket launching 180
 Hazard level and risks

• The fundamental hazard associated with excessive noise

is hearing loss. Exposure to excessive noise levels for an
extended period can damage the inner ear so that the
ability to hear high-frequency sound is diminished or lost
altogether. Additional exposure can increase the damage
until even lower frequency sounds cannot be heard.

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Hazard level and risks

A number of different factors affect the risk of hearing loss:

• Intensity of the noise (sound pressure level)
• Type of noise (wide, narrow, impulse band)
• Duration of daily exposure
• Total duration of exposure
• Age of the individual
• Coexisting hearing disease
• Nature of environment on which exposure occurs
• Distance of the individual from the source of noise
• Position of the ears relative to the sound waves

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Hazard level and risks

• The unprotected human ear is at risk when exposed

to sound levels exceeding 115dBA.

• Exposure to sound levels below 80dBA is generally

considered safe.

• Prolonged exposure to noise levels higher than

80dBA should be minimized through the use of
appropriate personal protective devices.

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Hazard level and risks

• Critical noise risk factors.

Hazard level and risks

• To decrease the risk of hearing loss, exposure to noise

should be limited to a maximum eight-hour time-weighted
average of 85 dBA. The following general rules should be
applied for dealing with noise in the workplace:

• Exposures of less than 80 dBA may be considered safe for

the purpose of risk assessment.

• A time-weighted average of 85dBA should be considered

the maximum limit of continuous exposure over eight-hour
days without protection.

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Hearing hazards monitoring

• It is important to determine accurately the nature of

the hearing hazard and to identify the affected
employees. Those responsible for this aspect of the
program must ensure that the exposures of all
employees have been properly evaluated and that
reevaluations are conducted when changes in
equipment or operations significantly alter working
conditions.
• Recent evidence has indicated that aromatic solvents,
Metals, and petrochemicals may be associated with
occupational hearing loss.

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Hearing hazards monitoring

Hearing hazard exposure monitoring is conducted for various

purpose, including:
• Determining whether hazards to hearing exist
• Determining whether noise presents a safety hazard by
interfering with speech communication or the recognition of
audible warning signals
• Identifying employees for inclusion on the hearing loss
prevention program
• Classifying employees’ noise exposures for prioritizing noise
control efforts and defining and establishing hearing protection
practices
• Evaluating specific noise sources for noise control purposes
• Evaluating the success of noise control efforts.

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Hearing hazards monitoring
Various kinds of incrementation and measurement
methods may by used, depending on the type of
measurements being conducted. The most common
measurements are:
• Area surveys,
• Dosimetry,
• Engineering surveys.

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Hearing hazards monitoring

• In an area survey, environmental noise levels are

measured using a sound level meter to identify work areas
where exposures are above or below hazardous levels and
where more thorough exposure monitoring may be
needed.

• The results is often plotted in the form of a “noise map”,

showing noise level measurements for the different areas
of the workplace.

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Hearing hazards monitoring
• Dosimetry involves the use of body-worn instruments
(dosimeters) to monitor an employee’s noise exposure
over the work shift. Monitoring results for one employee
can also represent the exposures of other workers in the
area with similar noise exposures.
• It may also be possible to use task-based exposure
methods to represent the exposures of other workers in
different areas whose exposures result from having
performed the same tasks.

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Hearing hazards monitoring

• Engineering surveys typically employ more sophisticated

acoustical equipment in addition to sound level meters,
these may include octave-band analyzers and sound level
recorders that furnish information on the frequency-
intensity composition of the noise being emitted by
machinery or other sound sources in various modes of
operation. These measurements are used to assess
options for applying engineering controls.

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Engineering and administrative controls

Engineering and administrative controls are essential

to achieve an effective hearing loss prevention
program. Engineering and administrative controls
represent the first two echelons in the hierarchy of
controls:

• Remove the hazard

• Remove the worker

the use of these controls should reduce hazardous

exposure to the point where the risk to hearing is
eliminated or at least more manageable.

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 Engineering and administrative controls

• Engineering controls are technologically feasible for

most noise sources, but their economic feasibility must
be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• In some instances, the application of a relatively simple
noise control solution reduces the hazard to the extent
that the other elements of the program, such as
audiometric testing and the use of hearing protection
devices, are no longer necessary.

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 Engineering and administrative controls

• It is specially important that organizations specify low

noise levels when purchasing new equipment, many
types of previously noisy equipment are now available in
noise-controlled versions. Consequently, a “buy quiet”
purchasing policy should not require new engineering
solutions in many cases.

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Engineering and administrative controls

Assessing the applicability of engineering controls is a

sophisticated process:
• First the noise problem must be thoroughly defined.
This necessitates measuring the noise levels and
developing complete information on employee noise
exposure and the need for noise reduction.
• Next, an assessment of the effect of these controls on
overall noise levels should be made. Once identified
and analyzed, the preceding controls can be
considered. Choices are influenced, to some extent,
the cost of purchasing, operating, servicing, and
maintaining the control.

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Cont..

• Engineering, safety, and industrial hygiene personnel,

as well as employees who operate, service, and
maintain equipment, must be involved in the noise
control plan.
• Employees who work with the equipment on a daily
basis should be asked to provide valuable guidance
on such important matters:
- the positioning of monitoring indicators
and panels,
- lubrication and servicing points,
- control switches,
- the proper location of access doors for
operation and maintenance.

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Cont..

Administrative controls - defined as changes on the

work schedule or operations that reduce noise
exposure.
Examples include operation a noisy machine on the
second or third shift when fewer people are exposed
or shifting an employee to a less noisy job once a
hazardous daily noise dose has been reached.
• Generally, administrative controls have limited use in
industry because employee contracts seldom permit
shifting from one job to another.

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Cont..

• A more practical administrative control is to provide for

quiet areas where employees can gain relief from
workplace noise.

• Areas used for work breaks and lunch rooms should

be located away from noise.

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 Audiometric evaluation

• Audiometric evaluation is crucial to the success of the

hearing loss prevention program. It is the only way to
determine whether occupational hearing loss is being
prevented.

• When the comparison of audiograms shows temporary

threshold shift (a temporary hearing loss after noise
exposure), early permanent threshold shift, or progressive
occupational hearing loss, it is time to take swift action to
halt the loss before additional deterioration occurs.

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Audiometric evaluation

• Occupational hearing loss occurs gradually and is not

accompanied by pain. The affected employee may not
notice the change until a large threshold shift has
accumulated.

However, the results of audiometric tests can trigger

changes in the hearing loss prevention program more
promptly, initiating protective measures, and motivating
employees to prevent further hearing loss.

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Hearing protection devices
• A personal hearing protection device is anything
that can be worn to reduce the level of sound
entering the ear.
Earmuffs, ear canal caps, and earplugs are the
three principal types of devices.
Each employee reacts individually to the use of
these devices, and a successful hearing loss
prevention program should be able to respond to
the needs of each employee.

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Education and motivation
• Training is a critical element of a good hearing loss
prevention program.

• A hearing loss prevention program that overlooks the

importance of education and motivation is likely to fail
because employees will not understand why it is in their
best interest to cooperate, and management will fail to
make the necessary commitment.

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 Assessing hazardous noise

Identifying and assessing hazardous noise conditions in the

workplace involve:
• Conducting periodic noise surveys
• Conducting periodic audiometric tests
• Record keeping
• Follow-up action

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Cont..
• Noise surveys
conducting noise surveys involves measuring noise
levels at different locations in the workplace.

 The devices that are most widely used to measure

noise levels are sound level meters and dosimeters.
A sound level meter produces an immediate reading
that represents the noise level at a specific instant in
time.
A dosimeter provides a time-weighted average over a
period of time such as one complete work shift.

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Cont.
Audiometric testing
• Audiometric testing measures the hearing threshold of
employees,
• The initial audiogram establishes a baseline hearing
threshold. After that, audiometric testing should occur
at least annually.
• Testing should not be done on an employee who has
a cold, an ear infection, or who has been exposed to
noise levels exceeding 80dBA within 14-16hours prior
to a test. Such conditions can produce invalid results.

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Cont..
Record keeping
• An audiometric form that can be used to record test
results for individual employees. such forms should be
completed and kept on file to allow for sequential
comparisons.

• It is also important to retain records containing a

worker’s employment history, including all past
positions and the working conditions in those positions.

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Cont..

Follow-up
• Follow-up is critical. Failure to take prompt
corrective action at the first sign of hearing loss can
lead to permanent debilitating damage.
• Hearing loss can occur without producing any
evidence of physiological damage. Therefore, it is
important to follow up on even the slightest
evidence of a change in an employee’s hearing
threshold.

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Figure 10.12 Decibel noise levels of familiar sounds (source: NIOSH).
Figure 10.13 Combining noise from several sources.
Class Exercise

10.12 Four machines contribute the following noise levels in dB to a worker’s exposure:
Machine 1 80dBA
Machine 2 86dBA
Machine 3 93dBA
Machine 4 70dBA
a) Calculate the combined noise level exposure for this worker
b) The offending machine is obviously Machine 3. Suppose that Machine 3
was at a distance of 5 feet away from the worker when the 93 dBA noise
level was measured. Determine how far away would Machine 3 have to
be moved to bring the worker’s continuous 8 hour combined exposure
from all machines down to OSHA PEL
10.15 Ten machines all contribute equally to the noise exposure of one worker,
whose exposure level is 99dB for a full 8-hour shift. When all the machines
are turned off, the noise level is 65dB. How many of the 10 machines must be
turned off to achieve a full-shift noise-exposure level that would meet standards
if the worker wears no personal protective equipment?

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