Do you have a day job? Do you work in a noisy environment? If so, you may want to measure the noise level in your workplace. As a general rule, if you have to shout to your colleague who is just 6 feet from you, know that the noise level is too high. In other words, the noise level should not be higher than 85dB. Noise level higher than this is not good for your hearing. Given below are 5 methods that can help you measure noise level in your workplace.
1. Sound Level Meter
You can purchase a sound level meter from the market. With the help of this meter, you will be able to measure the noise level within a few seconds. You can also use an Android app for the same purpose.
2. Field Calibration
For the majority of environmental and occupational noise level monitoring legislation, one requirement is field calibration. Noise measurement equipment like a sound level meter has to be calibrated before and after each use.
For calibration, you may want to use the right acoustic calibrator that can be installed over the mic of the meter. Keep in mind that this part of the meter is fragile and can get damaged due to misuse. If damaged, the meter will give inaccurate measurements.
3. Windshield
This is an important accessory as it cuts down on the influence of the wind while you are taking measurements. Actually, the windshield protects the capsule of the microphone from moisture and accidental knocks.
4. Stand away from the source of noise
To use a sound level meter, make sure you hold the meter at your arm’s length and ear height. Moreover, when taking measurement of the machine noise, we suggest that you stand at least 3 feet away from the machine. Your height should not be more than 1.5 meters. Standing too close to the noise source is not a good idea.
5. Good practice
It’s a good idea to ask question to your workers to know working activities and practices in addition to the activity durations. Apart from this, you may want to take notes as to the working position of each worker.
Make sure you allow a few minutes in order to get the right measurement. You should make a note of the measurements given on the screen of the noise meter. Lastly, you may want to use the highest value of the measurements. Make sure you round up the readings. For instance, 83.7dB can be rounded to 84dB.
Too Much Noise
Keep in mind that prolonged exposure to nose may result in permanent damage to our hearing. Therefore, it’s important that you the level of damage is based on the noise level as well as the time period you were exposed to the noise.
So, if you have been looking for a way to measure noise level in your workplace, we suggest that you get in touch with a good expert. Hopefully, you will be able to measure and control the noise level.