Continuous noise exposure at work can lead to workers having hearing problems or even deafness. The hearing problems can result while a person is still working at the place or has retired. There have been regulations passed by governments to protect employees from these discordance levels and hence reduce cases of deafness at such jobs. Apart from this, the organizations or companies themselves do carry out noise assessment to find the cause and reduce it significantly.
Persons at the workplace can be chosen to conduct this assessment such as a health and safety representative, a supervisor, an employee or even a manager. The first step will be to identify the source of the problem. The reason why persons from the organization are used is because at this level not much technical expertise is required.
An evaluator should therefore prepare a worksheet containing questions that will need to be asked during the process. The methods of collecting the information may involve interviews, observation among other ways. To begin the process, the evaluator will need to determine the source of sound at the work place. Sources may include; machines, power tools, photocopier, compressor, conveyor and many other sources.
The next thing that will need to be determined is the persons most affected by the hazard. This should be indicated in the worksheet and also a map of the work area that will be provided for the process. After this is established next will be measuring the level of loudness of the sound. A discordance meter is used in this process. If it shows that the level is below 75 db, this is an acceptable level. However, any level above this causes harm to workers.
There has to be away the workers are dealing with any level above 75 decibels. Therefore the assessor should inquire how the sound level is controlled. In most places, employees are usually given hearing protection unit controls. But in many cases this is just an interim measure because in the long term, the workers are always affected because the discordance has not been minimized fully.
Since the sound effects cannot be minimized, assessment continues. Correct measurements ought to be taken to correctly establish exposure levels to particular employees. At this level, the equipment used to collect the data is advanced than the latter example the noise dosimeter. Before the person collects data, he or she ought to be properly trained on the use of the instrument and its features to collect and interpret data properly.
The third step that follows after taking all the above measures is calling professional help. The organization therefore sets to look for an external consultant who comes with sophisticated instruments to collect data. It is good that a team be formed at the work place to work together with the consultant to provide additional information that the professional may need and hence make work easier.
Once the professional has finished carrying out the noise assessment, he comes up with a report. This report contains all information people at the work area ought to know concerning the hazard; its effects are proposed measures to rectify the problem. It will be up to the organization to implement the report in order to protect its workers.
Persons at the workplace can be chosen to conduct this assessment such as a health and safety representative, a supervisor, an employee or even a manager. The first step will be to identify the source of the problem. The reason why persons from the organization are used is because at this level not much technical expertise is required.
An evaluator should therefore prepare a worksheet containing questions that will need to be asked during the process. The methods of collecting the information may involve interviews, observation among other ways. To begin the process, the evaluator will need to determine the source of sound at the work place. Sources may include; machines, power tools, photocopier, compressor, conveyor and many other sources.
The next thing that will need to be determined is the persons most affected by the hazard. This should be indicated in the worksheet and also a map of the work area that will be provided for the process. After this is established next will be measuring the level of loudness of the sound. A discordance meter is used in this process. If it shows that the level is below 75 db, this is an acceptable level. However, any level above this causes harm to workers.
There has to be away the workers are dealing with any level above 75 decibels. Therefore the assessor should inquire how the sound level is controlled. In most places, employees are usually given hearing protection unit controls. But in many cases this is just an interim measure because in the long term, the workers are always affected because the discordance has not been minimized fully.
Since the sound effects cannot be minimized, assessment continues. Correct measurements ought to be taken to correctly establish exposure levels to particular employees. At this level, the equipment used to collect the data is advanced than the latter example the noise dosimeter. Before the person collects data, he or she ought to be properly trained on the use of the instrument and its features to collect and interpret data properly.
The third step that follows after taking all the above measures is calling professional help. The organization therefore sets to look for an external consultant who comes with sophisticated instruments to collect data. It is good that a team be formed at the work place to work together with the consultant to provide additional information that the professional may need and hence make work easier.
Once the professional has finished carrying out the noise assessment, he comes up with a report. This report contains all information people at the work area ought to know concerning the hazard; its effects are proposed measures to rectify the problem. It will be up to the organization to implement the report in order to protect its workers.
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