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Many people do not know that certain noise level at a work site can eventually lead to hearing problems or deafness to people working in that environment. There have been regulations designed by different states to help reduce the number of cases of workplace deafness. Apart from the regulations, certain tools have been devised to assess the level of discordance at a work place and advocate for reduction measures. One such example is the noise assessment tool.
For companies taking the assessment for the first time they will need to first identify the source of the problem. At this level, persons who can conduct the assessment to identify the hazard include; a supervisor, manager, health and safety representative and even an employee. Technical expertise is not warranted at this stage or basic recognition of the source.
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.
Next question to be asked concerns who is exposed to the discordance. Therefore an assessor should indicate the location of workers on the worksheet in relation to the source. How loud the noise is should be the next thing to assess. This will require the assessor to have a discordance meter to measure the level of sound. Normal sound levels should be below 75decibels. Any sound above this is a hazard to the people working around that place.
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.
From this point, the assessment proceeds. During this step, an evaluator needs to take precise measurements in order to find out level of exposure to the employee. A more advanced instrument such as the noise dosimeter is used. An evaluator using this equipment ought to have been trained well in order to use all the features of the instrument appropriately and interpret data well. At this level people around the work place should be involved in the assessment process.
If after the above step sound cannot be minimized, then this calls for professional help. Complex measurements will need to be carried out by an external consultant. The measurements taken here require use of more sophisticated instruments which the consultant has been trained to use. There should be a team formed by people working at the particular workplace to work closely with the consultant.
When the noise assessment is complete, the consultant prepares a report about his evaluations. The report does contain the different sources of loud sound and measures that should be taken to minimize this. The management is then required to implement the recommendations proposed by the report and still monitor to see if the recommendations worked or not.
For companies taking the assessment for the first time they will need to first identify the source of the problem. At this level, persons who can conduct the assessment to identify the hazard include; a supervisor, manager, health and safety representative and even an employee. Technical expertise is not warranted at this stage or basic recognition of the source.
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.
Next question to be asked concerns who is exposed to the discordance. Therefore an assessor should indicate the location of workers on the worksheet in relation to the source. How loud the noise is should be the next thing to assess. This will require the assessor to have a discordance meter to measure the level of sound. Normal sound levels should be below 75decibels. Any sound above this is a hazard to the people working around that place.
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.
From this point, the assessment proceeds. During this step, an evaluator needs to take precise measurements in order to find out level of exposure to the employee. A more advanced instrument such as the noise dosimeter is used. An evaluator using this equipment ought to have been trained well in order to use all the features of the instrument appropriately and interpret data well. At this level people around the work place should be involved in the assessment process.
If after the above step sound cannot be minimized, then this calls for professional help. Complex measurements will need to be carried out by an external consultant. The measurements taken here require use of more sophisticated instruments which the consultant has been trained to use. There should be a team formed by people working at the particular workplace to work closely with the consultant.
When the noise assessment is complete, the consultant prepares a report about his evaluations. The report does contain the different sources of loud sound and measures that should be taken to minimize this. The management is then required to implement the recommendations proposed by the report and still monitor to see if the recommendations worked or not.
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