Noise Detection: Are your workers being over-exposed?

Being in a loud, noisy work place is not fun. Not only is it uncomfortable but it can be dangerous as well. The loud noises can cause long lasting damage to your ears. To solve this we have noise detection and noise level monitoring.

In response to this companies such as TSI have responded. They have launched their own lines of personal noise detection devices, or noise sensors. These sensors can be used to help pinpoint where noise is coming from so it can be dealt with.

In summary noise is defined in most dictionaries as a loud, harsh, or confused sound. It distinguishes itself from other sound by to its unpleasant nature.
This definition makes noise a relative term. Noise differs from other sound only by the opinion of the person hearing it. In an industrial setting most sound is undesirable to most people.
The cause of sound is objects vibrating. Those vibrations pass through other objects, including the air, in waves. Eventually they reach your ears which turn the waves into signals your brain can interpret.

Noise detectors, otherwise known as noise dosimeters (not to be confused with radiation dosimeter) are usually worn on the worker. You place a microphone on the shoulder close to the ear. The device will pick up the noise in the environment, and store the data.

Over the course of an eight hour day the dosimeter will average the noise levels. In addition the dosimeter will ignore everything below a pre-set threshold. The resulting information can be used to determine whether or not the ambient noise is at a healthy level.

Indeed more recent dosimeters, including TSI’s Edge 4 and Edge 5, allow multiple devices to be connect to each other over Bluetooth. This allows for more effective monitoring of the noise exposure levels your workplaces have.

Noise is a prevalent issue in many workplaces and it is an unavoidable fact of life. However it is important that workers do not get too much exposure. By utilizing local safety guidelines and noise dosimeters you can ensure you have a safe work environment.

For more information on noise testing and dosimeters talk to one of Concept Control’s noise experts. Reach us by calling 1-800-793-9548.