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Advise required for Sound Meter Use

Advise required for Sound Meter Use

Advise required for Sound Meter Use

(OP)
I've been tasked with investigating the noise levels in my workplace.

This task has never been carried out and I have no experience of using sound measuring equipment.

The workplace is a foundry and fettling shop based in the UK, so as you may imagine it can get very noisy.

I have read the HSE website data regarding noise limits but I need some advise on what type of equipment I should be looking to purchase.

Am I currently looking at a Class 2 meter, frequency rating A & C. What else should I be looking for in a meter? (This meter will only be used once in a while so I do not want to be spending a lot of money on it)

Where do I have to position the meter when I am using it? How far away from the noise source?
How long do I need to use the meter for? E.g. If someone is using an air hammer/chisel for ten minutes every hour and then using other hand tools for the other 50 minutes do I just take readings for 1 hour then times by 8 for the rest of the day?

Thank you in advance.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  

RE: Advise required for Sound Meter Use

A hand-held sound meter is best used for plant surveys by area or by worker position and with steady sound levels present. A Type-2 meter is suitable in USA, but you should check UK industrial safety requirements. Typically meter is held at arms length about 5-ft above floor. I recommend using a windscreen to protect microphone from bumps and particulates, even in indoor locations. Make a copy of the building floor plan so that the sound levels can be written on it. I use a Tablet PC and use Markup feature on PDF files of floor plans. A meter with AC signal output can be connected to vibration/spectrum analyzer to evaluate non compliant sound levels.
An audio dosimeter worn by a worker can record his/her daily exposure to fluctuating sound levels at a stationary position or if worker moves from one work place to another. If this situation is prevalent, then purchase or rent at least one dosimeter with PC software.

Walt

RE: Advise required for Sound Meter Use

I'd add that it is worth getting the training on this stuff, since the changes that will be introduced as a result of your survey will be expensive.

In the case of a fettling shop where impulsive noise is common I think you will get more value from a dosimeter than an SLM, and I think it needs to have the relevant time constant.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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RE: Advise required for Sound Meter Use

I'm not familiar with the UK (as I'm based in Canada) but, here, there are a lot of companies who do this at very reasonable prices (sub-$1000).  

I have to imagine that seeing if there are companies that do this will be more cost effective that trying to buy a meter, learn to use it and potentially do the wrong thing, especially if your jurisdiction has a lot of health & safety laws.

RE: Advise required for Sound Meter Use

Perhaps you should simply hire someone to do the job the first time, and have him explain what is done.  If there's a safety code, then there's a set approach for doing the measurement.  Without following the explicit requirements, how will you know that you're actually compliant to the regulations, and how will you defend your measurements in a lawsuit when someone claims ear damage?

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Advise required for Sound Meter Use

(OP)
Thank you all for your advise. Having trawled the internet for information, seen the prices of the equipment and read your advise I have come to the same conclusion as SylvestreW and IRstuff.

I have recommended to my boss that we seek professional help and have an independant company come in to carry out a noise survey for us.

 

RE: Advise required for Sound Meter Use

This is good advice.

Back in the 1980's I was a student working on a placement with the environmental NVH department of a large multi-national.  We did noise surveys of factories and advised them how to comply with (company) standards and protect their employees.  I never once saw anything connecting the company standards or indeed measurement practices to anything official.  The numbers we used were always lower than the legal ones (typically -5dB), but I now wonder how legal it all was.

I suspect that any noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) court case would shake every possible branch to see what might fall.
 

- Steve

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