You have been hired as an industrial hygiene consultant by a small industry that has a problem with the noise level in their factory. They have asked you to conduct a noise assessment to ensure that they will be in compliance with OSHA regulations when they have their inspection. The factory has four main areas where workers are located, which is given below, along with the number of workers that are in that area. It is your job to determine your plan for conducting a noise assessment along with a budget for what it will cost to complete the assessment. You will be given a week’s time to create your plan and then you will present this plan to the managers of the industry.
Processing / Handling (where the product is created)
Machine Operators – 20
Mechanics / Electricians – 5 (Mainly work in processing and handling but may be in labeling some of the time)
Processing Quality Control Inspectors – 2
Labeling
Label Machine Operator – 5
Labeling Quality Control Inspectors – 2
Shipping / Receiving
Fork Lift Drivers – 15 (They mainly stay in shipping and receiving but may have to move around the entire factory during the day)
Dock Workers – 5 (Stay in the docks to load and unload trucks at all times)
Administration
Managers – 2 (Mostly in the offices, but may be on the factory floor periodically)
Health & Safety Officer – 1 (May be throughout the factory during the day)
Human Resource Personnel – 3
Secretarial Staff – 4
Proposal Requirements
Title Page
Introduction – The OSHA regulations relating to noise (STEL, TWA, etc.), possible control measures for noise (engineering, administrative, PPE), ways you can assess the noise level workers are exposed to, etc.
Methods – What equipment will you use, what employees and what locations will you sample, how long will sampling take, etc.
Safety & Health Requirements – Plan for how you will keep your employees safe while completing this work and how you will keep the other companys’ employees safe during the assessment
Timeline – Need to create a time line of how long this will take and how many hours will be required
Budget – How much will equipment rental cost, how much will your time cost, will you require travel reimbursement, do you need someone to assist you with the project, etc.
Deliverables – What will the company receive as part of this noise assessment?
Conducting a Noise
Assessment for a Small
Industry
Company Name: Manufacturing Company
Date: April 25, 2023
Introduction
The OSHA regulations relating to noise:
❖ Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set permissible exposure limits
(PELs) for noise.
❖ The Short-term Exposure Limit (STEL) for noise is 115 decibels (dB) for a maximum duration of
15 minutes.
❖ The Time-Weighted Average (TWA) for noise is 90 dB for an 8-hour workday.
The possible control measures for noise:
❖ Engineering Controls: Installing noise-reducing barriers or enclosures around equipment,
modifying equipment, etc.
❖ Administrative Controls: Reducing the amount of time employees are exposed to noise, rotating
workers, etc.
❖ Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Providing earplugs or earmuffs to employees.
Ways to assess the noise level workers are exposed to:
❖ Use a sound level meter or noise dosimeter to measure noise levels.
❖ Sample noise levels at different times of the day and in different locations.
2023
Conducting a Noise Assessment for a Small Industry
2
Assessment Plan
The equipment that will be used for the noise assessment:
❖ Sound level meter and noise dosimeter.
❖ Calibrator to ensure the accuracy of the sound level meter and noise dosimeter.
Identify the employees and locations that will be sampled:
❖ Processing / Handling: 4 Machine Operators, Mechanics / Electricians, and Processing Quality Control Inspectors (sampling
locations: near equipment).
❖ Labeling: Label Machine Operators and Labeling Quality Control Inspectors (sampling locations: near label machines).
❖ Shipping / Receiving: 2 Fork Lift Drivers and Dock Workers (sampling locations: loading dock and storage area).
❖ Administration: Managers, Health & Safety Officer, Human Resource Personnel, and Secretarial Staff (sampling locations: offices).
❖ Total of 15 employees
Timeline for the sampling:
❖ 1 week for planning and equipment procurement
❖ 1 week for on-site data collection and measurement
❖ 1 week for data analysis and report preparation
2023
Conducting a Noise Assessment for a Small Industry
3
Assessment Plan
Methods that will be used to analyze the noise data:
❖ Calculate the TWA and STEL for each employee sampled.
❖ Identify which employees are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss based on the noise
exposure levels.
❖ Provide recommendations for noise control measures.
How the results will be reported to the company:
❖ A report will be prepared that summarizes the findings of the noise assessment.
❖ The report will include recommendations for noise control measures.
❖ The report will be presented to the management team.
2023
Conducting a Noise Assessment for a Small Industry
4
Budget
Estimate of the cost of equipment rental:
Determine if travel reimbursement is required:
▪ Sound level meter: $200 per week.
▪ No travel reimbursement is required as the
assessment will be conducted on-site.
▪ 3 Noise dosimeter: $450 per week.
▪ Calibrator: $50 per week.
Identify if additional assistance is needed for the
project:
▪ Total equipment rental cost: $700.
▪ No additional assistance is needed for the project.
Cost of time:
▪ Total hours spent on the project: 120 hours.
▪ Hourly rate: $30.
Total Budget: $4,300
▪ Total cost of your time: $3,600.
2023
Conducting a Noise Assessment for a Small Industry
5
Conclusion
Why is noise assessment important enough to spend the money?
Noise exposure can cause permanent hearing loss, communication difficulties, and psychological stress. It
can also interfere with warning signals and create a safety hazard. Furthermore, noise exposure can cause
other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
As an industrial hygiene consultant, it is our responsibility to ensure that the workers are safe and healthy.
Conducting a noise assessment is an important step in achieving this goal. By identifying noise hazards and
implementing control measures, we can prevent hearing loss and other health problems, reduce
absenteeism and turnover rates, and increase productivity.
In conclusion, a noise assessment is an investment in the health and safety of workers, as well as the
financial health of the industry. It is a small price to pay compared to the cost of workers’ compensation
claims, legal fees, and lost productivity due to noise-induced hearing loss.
2023
Conducting a Noise Assessment for a Small Industry
6
References
Regulations:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). (2021). Occupational Noise Exposure. Retrieved
from https://www.osha.gov/noise
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2018). Preventing Occupational Hearing
Loss – A Practical Guide. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-126/
Controls:
OSHA. (2016). Occupational Noise and Hearing Conservation.
NIOSH. (2019). Buy Quiet Resource Guide. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/buyquiet/default.html
Equipment rental prices:
National Equipment Rental Association (NERA). (2021). Rental Rate Blue Book.
Other resources:
American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). (2021). Noise and Hearing Conservation Resource Center.
2023
Conducting a Noise Assessment for a Small Industry
7
Graduate Student Research Grant Budget Form
Name
Project Title
Advisor
Item
Cost per Item
# of Items
Requested
A. Materials/Supplies
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Subtotal
B. Equipment
1
2
3
4
5
Subtotal
C. Travel
1
2
3
4
5
Subtotal
D. Salaries
1
2
3
4
5
Subtotal
E. Other
1
2
3
4
5
Subtotal
Total Budget
Total Cost for
Item
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
