NOISE MONITORING THE RIGHT TOOLS
When should you use a noise dosimeter as opposed to a sound level meter? Tim Turney, Global Marketing Manager, Casella discusses.
WHY MONITOR? Prolonged exposure to high levels of noise, without
the appropriate hearing protection or controls, will have a detrimental effect on workers’ health. To avoid high levels of noise and ensure regulations are not exceeded, noise monitoring delivers accurate insights into workers’ exposure. With many devices on the market, it can be difficult to identify what type of product is most suitable for your working environment. Is it better to use a noise dosimeter or a sound level meter and what are the differences between the two?
SOUND LEVEL METERS A sound level meter is a hand-held device, that enables
measurements to be taken at the ear (within 10-15cm) with the instrument pointing at the noise source. This process must be repeated for both ears, for all duties that employees perform, making it possible to calculate an accurate record of daily exposure. Settings on these meters can be adjusted, according to the type of noise being assessed.
When using a sound level meter, measurements must be started at the beginning of a task, representing workers’ actual exposure.
If workers are likely to be
exposed to high levels of impulsive noise, emitted from heavy pressing operations or sheet metal working, peak noises must be measured for accurate results and compared to peak action levels.
When conducting noise surveys, sound level meters are the preferred supporting device as the operator is present to make sure that the noises measured are of good quality. A representative measurement is made for each job function, with the exposure time for each, ensuring that an eight-hour exposure can be calculated as a result.
DOSIMETERS Dosimeters are small devices that are worn on the
worker’s shoulder to measure personal exposure.
Dosimeters can be started at the beginning of a shift and should be used until the end of the day, when data can be uploaded onto a computer, detailing the history of the noise exposure and highlighting where high exposures occur throughout the day.
If the dosimeter is placed on an employee who then makes a diary of times and jobs performed throughout the day, the employer will be able to instantly see the operations that require more effective noise controls.
It is best to use dosimeters for individuals with a complex work pattern and varying noise level exposure, or when certain tasks make it difficult to monitor with a sound level meter such as fork lift truck driving. It is important to remember that noise
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dosimeter measurements are open to spurious results from employees, especially when first used. So, high exposures should be checked to see if they are a legitimate part of the workers exposure. Modern noise dosimeters can record the actual audio. This would allow the sound to be played back to determine what the exposure was from, such as a particular machine, or indeed that it was spurious.
MONITORING Noise monitoring is quick and simple; the monitors
are easy to operate, allowing for accurate insights into workplace noise exposure to be collated, for all types of jobs.
By investing in monitoring solutions, employers could improve health and safety in the workplace, preventing employees from developing hearing issues and suffering long term consequences as a result of their working conditions.
www.casellasolutions.com
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