Most of us are familiar with both the
terminologies and maybe, some are not. This article will help to refresh
memories for those who already are aware and will clarify to those who seek to know
the difference.
Sound is what we hear, and noise is an
unwanted sound. For better understanding, a sound to one person may be noise
for the other. For example: rock music may be pleasant for one person &
disturbance for the other (one person likes it and the other does not).
The unit for noise measurement is called
Decibels (dB). We measure sound level with sound level meter level (best to use
to take sound level from single point at a time or to monitor the work
environment on regular basis) and noise dosimeter (to take the full day reading and then making an average). Normally 80 dB to 85 dB (vary from country
to country) is permitted for 8 hours without PPEs. In general police siren
produces 120 dB, Jet engine emits 130 dB and fireworks generate 140 dB,
approximately.
Sound travels through air and other media
such as water. Waves are produced while objects vibrate. Even when we talk, it
is vibration which we produce and the other person receives the waves,
interprets them and understands the meaning.
The speed of sound in air is approximately 344
meters per second and in water it is 1480 meters per second (that’s correct, it
is nearly 4 times faster in water).
For workplace noise issues, we name it
occupational noise. Since we have already defined that the noise is unwanted sound
that means, we do not want ourselves exposed to it. Even in children who are
exposed to higher noise, psychologists say, they may face difficulty distinguishing between words like ‘thick’ & ‘sick’.
Noise causes serious health issues, for
example it increases stress and disturbs our digestive system. Adding to these
it also results in poor concentration, loss of productivity, communication
difficulty, lack of sleep and most common is hearing loss.
Thinking about the workplace, we need to
ensure,
1.
We plant more trees, where
possible (they form barrier and absorb dust, noise…etc emission)
2.
Perform risk assessment of the
areas and measure the noise levels
3.
Follow hierarchy of control, in
case if the levels are more than acceptable limits (Eliminate, Substitute,
Engineer, Administrative and in the last PPEs)
4.
The best way is to consider it
at design stage
5.
Awareness, training, and
refreshers
6.
Regular monitoring of noise
emissions at workplace
7.
Regular audiometry evaluations
for those who are at risk
8.
Purchase equipment / tools
which emit less noise
