Exposure to noise in the workplace can cause serious harm to
someone’s health. The most common effect of noise at work is loss of hearing,
which first came in attention when coppersmiths were having hearing problems a
long time ago.
A decibel is a unit of measurement used to calculate the
intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical of an electrical
signal by comparing it with a given level on a logarithmic scale. 85 decibels
or (dB) is the action level where hearing protection is required in the
workplace. 90 dB, according to OSHA is the eight-hour average exposure limit.
At 100 dB, exposures longer than fifteen minutes are not recommended. At 110
dB, regular exposure of more than one minute is a risk for permanent hearing
loss.
Sound is produced by
vibrating objects and reaches the listener's ears as waves in the air or other
media. When an object vibrates, it causes slight changes in air pressure. These
air pressure changes travel as waves through the air and produce sound. To illustrate,imagine striking a drum surface with a stick. The drum surface vibrates backand forth. As it moves forward, it pushes the air in contact with the surface.This creates a positive (higher) pressure by compressing the air. When thesurface moves in the opposite direction, it creates a negative (lower) pressureby decompressing the air.
There
is hearing protection available at workplaces where conditions can become
dangerous or threatening. One method is ear plugs. Ear plugs are inserted to
block the ear canal and can be pre-molded to fit comfortably. These can reduce
50%-70% from the manufactures labeled NPR, which is the noise reduction rating.
Another protection method is earmuffs. Manufacturers provide information about the noise reducing
capability of a hearing protector as an NRR (noise reduction rating) number.
The NRR ratings are based on noise reduction obtained in laboratory conditions. Earmuffs consist of
sound-attenuating material and soft ear cushions that fit around the ear and
have hard outer cups. They go around the head like headphones. Earmuffs
subtract around 25% of the manufactures labeled NRR.
The standard threshold shift, otherwise known as STS, is defined
in the occupational noise exposure standard at 29 CFR. In order to get full
benefit of hearing protection, tbey must be worn all the time during noisy
work. If hearing protectors are removed only for a short duration, the
protection is substantially reduced. If one takes off his/her hearing protector
for 5 min in a 8-hour shift, the maximum protection will be 20 dB. This is the
maximum protection of 5dB. Regular checks should be conducted by employers to
ensure that hearing protection is being worn properly and in good condition.
I wasn't able to get too loud of an environment of noise on my app. However i do work at a bar uptown and have experienced extremely loud noise in the workplace almost every time i work. We have loud speakers with nonstop music especially at night. As well as an abundance of people yelling and talking. This could easily impair my hearing and presents a dangerous threat in the workplace.
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