Fewer samples may be needed if the sound levels in your surveys are well below the OEL and the sound levels are less variable. Generally, more samples are needed when the results of your basic survey are close to the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) for noise and when the variability of your noise survey results is high. The results of your basic sound level survey and your observations of how noise fluctuates during the work day can help you develop a plan for how many measurements need to be taken in order to accurately assess the noise exposures in each area and for each task or job description. Noise control survey: Focuses on identifying and prioritizing options for reducing the noise hazard using engineering or administrative controls.Results are useful to determine worker noise exposures, make hearing protection assignments, and identify who is in or out of the HCP. Extensive survey: Involves gathering detailed information about specific job tasks, areas, or equipment.The results can be used to create a sampling plan an estimate of how many samples need to be taken to accurately describe the noise levels for each area or job description. Basic survey: Helps employer quantify the noise environment, create noise maps of area sound levels, and determine if a more extensive survey is needed.Conduct sound level surveys in noisy areasĪ sound level survey is a systematic method for measuring sound pressure levels of specific equipment or tasks, in an area, or near a person. If noise levels are 80 dBA or more, additional sound surveying is needed. The purpose is to identify where hazardous noise is present. Employees notice temporary loss of hearing ability when leaving workĪ walkaround survey or “screening” survey can be the first step to knowing where there are noise problems.The noise is so loud that employees must shout to be heard by a coworker an arms length away.Employees hear ringing or humming in their ears after exposure to loud sounds.Some indications that noise may be a problem in your workplace How much hearing protection do we need?.There are many different types of noise measurement instruments available depending on the type of noise and the purpose of the survey. Surveys can be simple or complex and may be conducted by people on your health and safety team or by a consultant. In the US, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide a Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) whenever employees have 8-hour time- weighted-average (TWA) noise exposures of 85 dBA or more. If employees at your company work in noisy areas, start by conducting a sound (or noise) survey.
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