Noise Assessments
An employees exposure to harmful noise may be determined through the use of noise assessments. If a change in production, process, equipment, or controls may increase the noise exposure, monitoring may be repeated in that area or during that process.
Area Noise Assessments
This type of assessment consists of a walkthrough of the working area with a sound-level meter to identify operations or areas where employees may be exposed to hazardous noise levels. This provides an overview of noise exposure, which may change depending on shift or process changes.
Area noise assessments are also used to identify areas on campus where noise levels exceed 90 dBA, which would always require the use of hearing protection.
Personal Noise Monitoring
This type of assessment consists of using a noise dosimeter that stores sound levels over time. The dosimeter is attached to the employee’s clothing near their ear while they move about and provides an average noise exposure reading for a given time (8-hr workday).