Noise

Contents:

1.Anatomy of ear2.Measurement of sound3.Industrial noise4.Hearing loss5.Measures to reduce noise in industries6.Effects of noise performance7.Conclusion

Measurement of Sound:The energy in a sound wave can be measured using Decibels. The Decibel Meter shows examples of things that make noise and measurements in decibels. Amplitude measures how forceful the wave is. It is measured in decibels or dBA of sound pressure.

Industrial Noise:

Industrial noise is often a term used in relation to environmental health and safety, rather than nuisance, as sustained exposure can cause permanent hearing damage. Traditionally, industrial noise has been a hazard linked to heavy industries such as ship-building and associated only with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Hearing Loss: There are a range of different types of hearing loss that can be caused from noise in the workplace, from temporary to permanent loss of hearing and conditions such as tinnitus or acoustic shock syndrome.

Warning signs that your workplace may be too noisy:

You hear ringing or humming in your ears when you leave work.

You have to shout to be heard by a coworker an arm's length away.

You experience temporary hearing loss when leaving work.

Hearing protectors:

Measures to reduce noise in Industries:

Effective engineering controls include some of the following:Choose low-noise tools and machinery .Maintain and lubricate machinery and equipment (e.g., oil bearings).Place a barrier between the noise source and employee (e.g., sound walls or curtains).Enclose or isolate the noise source.

Engineering controls that reduce sound exposure levels are available and technologically feasible for most noise sources.

Administrative controls: These are changes in the workplace that reduce or eliminate the worker exposure to noise. Examples include:Operating noisy machines during shifts when fewer people are exposed.Limiting the amount of time a person spends at a noise source.Providing quiet areas where workers can gain relief from hazardous noise sources 

Hearing protection devices (HPDs), such as earmuffs and plugs, are considered an acceptable but less desirable option to control exposures to noise and are generally used during the time necessary to implement engineering or administrative controls, when such controls are not feasible, or when worker's hearing tests indicate significant hearing damage.

Effect of Noise performance:Noise can interfere with verbal communications and can be distracting and annoying.  Here are some of the factors that affect work performance.

Speech intelligibilitySpeech intelligibility is the ability to understand spoken words. The presence of noise interferes with the understanding of what other people say. This includes face-to-face talks, telephone conversations, and speech over a public address system.

AnnoyanceNoise is annoying. In noisy environments, people generally prefer to reduce the noise loudness, avoid it, or leave the noisy area if possible. The same noise could be annoying to some people but acceptable to others. There is no definite relationship between the degree of annoyance or unpleasantness of noise and the risk of adverse health effects. For example, very loud music may be pleasant to one group of people and annoying to another group. Both groups will be equally at risk of hearing loss.

Job interferenceDepending of the type of activity, noise can severely affect efficiency of a task performance. The following examples will illustrate this point:

a conversation nearby will distract a person and affect their concentration, hence reducing the employee's efficiency

a noisy environment could create an additional hazard, since audible alarms might not be heard

a noisy environment interferes with oral communication and thus, interferes with the activity

Conclusion:

Thank you