Getting Started with工作场所噪音监视

您是否对工作中的噪音有疑问，都取决于噪音的响亮程度以及您接触到它的时间。

Noise exposure is a combination of both level and time and it is equally important to consider both of these. This is why the noise measurement instruments that we use measure the noise in terms of a time weighed average which is known as Leq.

As a simple guide you will probably have to do something about noise if any of the following apply:

• 噪音打扰——像一个繁忙的街道,休假吗uum cleaner or a crowded restaurant – for most of the working day?
• Do you work in a noisy industry, eg construction, demolition or road repair; woodworking; plastics processing; engineering; textile manufacture; general fabrication; forging, pressing or stamping; paper or board making; canning or bottling; foundries?
• 员工使用噪声驱动的工具或机械吗for more than half an hour each day?
• 是否存在噪声，因为撞击（例如锤击，锻造，气动冲击工具等），爆炸性来源，例如弹药手术工具或雷管或枪支？

You can also make some quick checks by listening to the noise and seeing how your employees are communicating with each other:

• 员工是否接触到噪音水平，这使他们有必要大喊与1M外的人交谈？噪声水平可能高于90dB。
• Are employees exposed to noise levels which make it necessary for them to short to talk to someone about 1m away? The noise level here is probably over 85dB.
• Do employees have to raise their voices to carry out normal conversation when about 2 metres apart for at least part of the working day? The noise level here is probably more than 80dB.

2005年工作条例中噪声的控制要求雇主防止或降低健康和安全的风险，从工作中的噪音暴露。员工也有规定的职责。法规要求您作为雇主：

• Assess the risks to your employees from noise at work
• Take action to reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks
• 如果您无法使用其他方法，请为您的员工提供听力保护
• 确保不超过噪声暴露的法律限制
• Provide your employees with information, instruction and training
• 进行健康监测，在有健康风险的情况下。

该法规不适用于：

• members of the public exposed to noise from their non-work activities, or making an informed choice to go to noisy places;
• 低水平的噪音是令人讨厌的，但不会引起听力损害的风险。

Employers in the music and entertainment sectors had until the 6th April 2008 to comply with the Noise Regulations 2005. They had to continue to comply with the Noise at Work Regulations 1989, which the 2005 Regulations replaced for all other workplaces.

The Noise Regulations require you to take specific action at certain action values. These relate to:

• the levels of exposure to noise of your employees averaged over a working day or week; and
• the maximum noise (peak sound pressure) to which employees are exposed in a working day.

The values are:

• 较低的暴露动作值：
  • daily LEP,d or weekly LEP,w exposure of 80 dB;
  • peak sound pressure (LCPeak) of 135 dB;
• upper exposure action values:
  • daily LEP,d or weekly LEP,w exposure of 85 dB;
  • peak sound pressure (LCPeak) of 137 dB.

也有噪声曝光水平不得超过。这些称为曝光极限值。暴露限制值是：

• daily LEP,d or weekly LEP,w exposure of 87 dB;
• peak sound pressure of (LCPeak) 140 dB.

当员工有责任以较低的暴露行动价值接触噪音时，雇主必须对从噪声到这些员工的健康和安全的风险进行“适当和充分的评估”。

An assessment will be suitable and sufficient if it:

• a) has been drawn up by someone who is competent to carry out the task
• b) is based on advice and information from competent sources
• c) identifies where there may be a risk from noise and who is likely to be affected
• d) contains a reliable estimate of your employees noise exposures and a comparison of exposure with the exposure action values and limit values
• e）确定消除风险和暴露所必需的措施，或将其降低到合理可行的水平
• f) identifies those employees who need to be provided with health surveillance and whether any employees are at particular risk

The employer should also prepare an action plan, together with a realistic time scale for achieving these controls.

Finally, the risk assessment shall be reviewed when there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid. For example, there may have been a significant change in the work to which the assessment relates, new noisy machinery installed, altered work patterns and so on.

In general terms the responsibilities/controls required at the various exposure action values and limit values are as follows:

A) If employees are exposed to noise levels at or above the lower exposure action value (not taking account of hearing protection):

• 必须提供合适的听力保护器
• information and training must be provided
• health surveillance should be provided where there is a risk to health

b）如果员工接触到或以上或以上的噪声水平或高于上限行动值（不考虑听力保护）：

• a programme of technical and/or organisational measures intended to reduce exposure to noise must be established and implemented (these measures cannot include hearing protection)
• marking, delimiting and restriction of access to areas is required; i.e. designation of Hearing Protection Zones
• the provision and use of hearing protectors is mandatory
• health surveillance must be provided
• information and training must be provided

C) Employers must not permit an employee to be exposed above the exposure limit values (NB taking into account hearing protection). If these values are exceeded:

• immediate action to reduce exposure is required
• 必须通过审查控制措施计划来解决过度暴露的原因；即技术和组织控制
• the adequacy of any hearing protection supplied and the systems in place to ensure that noise-control measures and hearing protection are fully and properly used and maintained.

"When making measurements to estimate the noise exposure of a person at work, you need to ascertain the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (LAeq) that represents the noise the person is exposed to during the working day. You also need to ascertain the maximum C-weighted peak sound pressure level or levels to which the person is exposed."

The action levels described in the regulations are given as daily (LEP,d) or weekly (LEP,w) exposure values along with peak sound pressure levels, all in dB. A sound level meter cannot measure LEP,d or LEP,w directly as these are calculated from two other parameters which are recorded during the measurement. These are:

• 分贝中等效的连续A加权声压水平代表了该人在工作日暴露的声音。这通常称为LEQ，可以显示为Laeq或Laeq，T
• The duration over which the Leq is measured

With this information, you can calculate the LEP,d using the formula given in the Noise at Work Regulations (Schedule 1 Part 1 paragraph 1). You should also measure the maximum C-weighted peak sound pressure level:

• This will usually be displayed on your sound level meter as Peak(C) dB or LCPeak
• In accordance with the regulations, this should always be measured with C-weighting

有了要评估的每个不同活动的这两个测量值，您可以计算LEP，D和需要LEP，W值。

If you will need to provide PPE or hearing protection, you may also need to record additional values such as the C-weighted Leq (LCeq) or the Leq of the noise in Octave Bands. This information can be used to assess the effectiveness of hearing protection.

TheOptimus Redsound level meters can provide these functions in addition to the LAeq and C-weighted peak values.

How you make these measurements will depend upon different factors but in most noise measurements are made with either a Sound Level Meter such as theOptimus Red或个人噪音剂量表，例如Dosebadge.

声音仪表

您的声音计应该：

• At a minimum be capable of measuring
  • Equivalent Continuous Sound Pressure Level (LAeq)
  • C-Weighted Peak Sound Pressure (LCPeak)
• Optionally be capable of measuring
  • 使用HML方法选择PPE的c-weghed LEQ
  • 八度带LEQ值用于选择PPE使用八度频段方法
• Meet at least the requirements of
  • Class 2 of BS EN 61672-1:2003 (the current standard for sound level meters or
  • BS EN 60804：2001的2型（前标准）

You should be able to calibrate your sound level meter using an Acoustic Calibrator which meets the requirements of at least Class 2 of BS EN 60942:2003.

To ensure that your equipment is calibrated correctly, you should not use a sound level meter and acoustic calibrator from different manufacturers unless you have very specific information and instructions as to how these two units will work together. It is possible to create large errors in the calibation level which should be avoided wherever possible.

TheOptimus Redsound level meters will provide all of these functions and are the ultimate tool for noise at work measurements.

噪声剂量计或个人声音曝光表

A noise dosmeter may be very useful for measuring noise exposures of workers who are mobile, driving vehicles, working in environments where access is difficult or where their working pattern varies significantly and may be difficult to predict. A noise dosemeter should:

• measure the LAeq and LCPeak values over the measurement
• be calibrated in the same way as a sound level meter before, and ideally after, each measurement
• meet the requirements of BS EN 61252:1997 (Note that noise dosemeters have no class or type number)

TheDosebadge是这种类型的噪声测量值的理想噪声剂量计。

Acoustic Calibrators

An acoustic calibrator should be used to check the meter each day before and after making any measurements. An acoustic calibrator will generate a tone at a specified level and frequency for a specified microphone.

This is the reason that you should not use an acoustic calibrator and sound level meter from different manufacturers without some very detailed and specific information. Some sound level meters may have an internal electrical calibration. Be aware that this type of calibration does not check the microphone capsule which is the most commonly damaged part of a noise meter.

Your acoustic calibrator should meet at least Class 2 of BS EN 60942:2003. We would recommend a CR:514 Class 2 Acoustic Calibrator for use with our Class 2 optimus sound level meters and the CR:515 Class 1 Acoustic Calibrator for use with our Class 1 optimus sound level meters.

The Reader unit supplied with the doseBadge features an acoustic calibator that meets these specifications.

Noise at Work Directive 2003/10/EC is officially known as the "Directive 2003/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 February 2003 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (noise)".

In the directive, the following limit and action values are defined:

• (a) exposure limit values: LEX,8h = 87 dB(A) and LCpeak = 200 Pa respectively;
• (b) upper exposure action values: LEX,8h = 85 dB(A) and LCpeak = 140 Pa respectively;
• (c) lower exposure action values: LEX,8h = 80 dB(A) and LCpeak = 112 Pa respectively.

Where:

每日噪声暴露水平（LEX，8H）是ISO 1999定义的名义8小时工作日的平均噪声暴露水平

The peak sound pressure (LCpeak) is the maximum value of the 'C'-frequency weighted instantaneous noise pressure.

The Member States are to comply with this Directive before 15 February 2006. However, there may have an additional period of five years from 15 February 2006 with regard to limit values for personnel on board seagoing vessels. And, for the music and entertainment sectors.

Member States have a maximum transitional period of two years from 15 February 2006 (i.e. five years in total) to comply with this Directive, provided that, in the meantime, the levels of protection already achieved are maintained.

截至1981年8月，OSHA噪声曝光标准包括一个两阶段的计划，在85小时内，在85 dba的听力保护措施将在85小时内进行强制性，但是当暴露超过90 DBA时，需要可行的工程或行政噪声控制。

听力保护计划,包括年度澳大利亚iometric testing and provision of hearing protectors.

工程控制 - 包括通过重新设计来降低机械噪声，用更安静的设备替换或减少从源到接收器的路径沿路径的传输。

Administrative Controls - include reducing noise exposure by limiting the time an employee is exposed to given noise levels.