Noise - Measurement of Workplace Noise

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), 2023

1. PREPARATION

Before taking field measurements, it is important to determine the type of information

required. The person making the measurement must understand:

 The purpose of measurement: compliance with noise regulations, hearing loss

prevention, noise control, community annoyance etc.
 The sources of noise, and times when the sources are operating.
 The temporal pattern of noise - continuous, variable, intermittent, impulse.
 Locations of exposed persons.
 Conditions during both a typical and atypical shift (noise sources, activities, shift
length, etc.)

The initial measurements are noise surveys to determine if:

 Noise problem exists.

 Further measurements are needed.

The second step is to determine personal noise exposure levels; that is, the amount of
noise to which individual employees are exposed. If the workplace noise remains steady,
workers are stationary throughout the shift, and measurements are representative of a
typical day, the noise survey data can be used to determine if there is a potential exposure
to harmful noise levels and if additional measurements are required. However, noise
dosimetry (such as personal noise exposure measurements) is necessary if the workplace
noise levels vary throughout the day or if the workers are fairly mobile.

2. TYPE OF INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE NOISE

The most common instruments used for measuring noise are the sound level meter
(SLM), the integrating sound level meter (ISLM), and the noise dosimeter. It is important
that you understand the calibration, operation and reading the instrument you use. The
user's manual provided by the instrument manufacturer provides most of this information.
Table 1 provides some instrument selection guidelines.
 Table 1
Guidelines for Instrument Selection
Type of Appropriate Result Comments
Measurement Instruments
(in order of
preference)
Personal noise 1) Dosimeter Dose or Most accurate for personal noise
exposure equivalent exposures, and is worn by the worker.
sound level
2) ISLM* Equivalent If the worker is mobile, it may be
sound level difficult to determine a personal
exposure, unless work can be easily
divided into defined activities.
3) SLM** dBA If noise levels vary considerably, it is
difficult to determine average
exposure. Only useful when work can
be easily divided into defined
activities and noise levels are
relatively stable all the time.
Noise levels 1) SLM dBA Measurement should be taken 1 to 3
generated by a metres from source (not directly at the
particular source source).
2) ISLM Equivalent Particularly useful if noise is highly
sound level variable; it can measure equivalent
dBA sound level over a short period of
time (1 minute).
Noise survey 1) SLM dBA To produce noise map of an area; take
measurements on a grid pattern.
2) ISLM Equivalent For highly variable noise.
sound level
dBA
Impulse noise 1) Impulse Peak pressure To measure the peak of each impulse.
SLM dBA
* ISLM stands for Integrating Sound Level Meter

** SLM stands for Sound Level Meter

3. SOUND LEVEL METER (SLM)

 The SLM consists of a microphone, electronic circuits and a readout display. The
microphone detects the small air pressure variations associated with sound and changes
them into electrical signals. These signals are then processed by the electronic circuitry of
the instrument. The readout displays the sound level in decibels. The SLM takes the
sound pressure level at one instant in a particular location.

To take measurements, the SLM is held at arm's length at the ear height for those exposed
to the noise. With most SLMs it does not matter exactly how the microphone is pointed at
the noise source. The instrument's instruction manual explains how to hold the
microphone. The SLM must be calibrated before and after each use. The manual also
gives the calibration procedure.

With most SLMs, the readings can be taken on either SLOW or FAST response. The
response rate is the time period over which the instrument averages the sound level before
displaying it on the readout. Workplace noise level measurements should be taken on
SLOW response.

A Type 2 SLM is sufficiently accurate for industrial field evaluations. The more accurate
and much more expensive Type 1 SLMs are primarily used in engineering, laboratory and
research work. Any SLM that is less accurate than a Type 2 should not be used for
workplace noise measurement.

An A-weighting filter is generally built into all SLMs and can be switched ON or OFF.
Some Type 2 SLMs provide measurements only in dBA, meaning that the A-weighting
filter is ON permanently (see the OSH Answers on Noise - Basic Information for more
about A-weighted decibels dBA).

A standard SLM takes only instantaneous noise measurements. This is sufficient in

workplaces with continuous noise levels. But in workplaces with impulse, intermittent or
variable noise levels, the SLM makes it difficult to determine a person's average exposure
to noise over a work shift. One solution in such workplaces is a noise dosimeter.

4. INTEGRATING SOUND LEVEL METER (ISLM)

The integrating sound level meter (ISLM) is similar to the dosimeter. It determines
equivalent sound levels over a measurement period. The major difference is that an ISLM
does not provide personal exposures because it is hand-held like the SLM, and not worn.

The ISLM determines equivalent sound levels at a particular location. It yields a single
reading of a given noise, even if the actual sound level of the noise changes continually. It
uses a pre-programmed exchange rate, with a time constant that is equivalent to the
SLOW setting on the SLM.

5. NOISE DOSIMETER
Noise dosimeter is a small, light device that is worn by the worker with the microphone
positioned above the outside edge of the wearer’s shoulder, close to their ear. The
dosimeter stores the noise level information and carries out an averaging process. It is
useful in industry where noise usually varies in duration and intensity, and where the
person changes locations.

A noise dosimeter requires the following settings:

(a) Criterion Level: exposure limit for 8 hours per day five days per week. Criterion
level is 85 dBA for many jurisdictions, 90 dBA for Quebec and 87 dBA for Canadian
federal jurisdictions. Find out more about the exposure levels in the OSH Answers
document Noise - Occupational Exposure Limits in Canada.

(b) Exchange rate: 3 dB or 5 dB as specified in the noise regulation.

(c) Threshold: noise level limit below which the dosimeter does not accumulate noise
dose data.

Wearing the dosimeter over a complete work shift gives the average noise exposure or
noise dose for that person. This is usually expressed as a noise exposure level, L ex,T. This
is a logarithm which takes into account the exposure and the actual time worked. In the
past, it was often expressed as a percentage of the maximum permitted exposure. If a
person has received a noise dose of 100% over a work shift, this means that the average
noise exposure is at the maximum permitted. For example, with a criterion level of 90
dBA and an exchange rate of 3 dBA, an eight-hour exposure to 90 dBA gives a 100%
dose. A four-hour exposure to 93 dBA is also a 100% dose, whereas an eight-hour
exposure to 93 dBA is a noise dose of 200%.

Usually the manufacturer electronically adjusts dosimeters to the criterion level and
exchange rate in use. You may have to adjust them to suit the exposure
guidelines/standards in force in your jurisdiction.

Dosimeters also give an equivalent sound or noise level. This is the average exposure
level for noise over the time dosimeter was on. It has the same total sound energy as the
actual, variable sound levels to which a person is exposed over the same time period.
Scientific evidence suggests that hearing loss is affected by the total noise energy
exposure. If a person is exposed over an eight-hour work shift to varying noise levels, it is
possible to calculate an equivalent sound level which would equal the same total sound
energy exposure. This would have the same effect on the person's hearing as the variable
exposure actually received (Figure 1).
 Figure 1

In Figure 1, the shaded area under the line that shows how the sound level changes over time
(the "curve") represents the total sound exposure over eight hours.

6. TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING NOISE

Before taking any field measurements, it is important to determine the type of information
required. Do the workplace noise levels vary throughout the day? Are the workers fairly
mobile? Do workers operate different equipment?

In a bottle washing and filling facility in Ontario, for example, the noise levels vary over
the work shift. Instantaneous noise measurements, taken with an SLM (Type 2, SLOW
RESPONSE, A-filter), at one person's work station, ranged from 63 dBA to 114 dBA
over the day, although levels most commonly ranged from 90 to 96 dBA and 104 to 107
dBA. This information strongly suggested that there was a potential for excessive noise
exposure.

The worker was asked to wear a noise dosimeter over a full eight-hour work shift. At the
end of the shift, the noise dosimeter indicated a 270% dose. This was a substantial
exposure. In addition, the dosimeter provided an equivalent noise level of 97 dBA. In
other words, a constant eight-hour exposure to a steady, continuous noise of 97 dBA
would have resulted in the same exposure.

An ISLM could also have been used in this example, particularly if the worker spent most
of the work shift in a defined location, or the first half of the shift in one area and the
remainder in another area. The ISLM could have provided equivalent sound level
measurements and a fairly accurate exposure assessment.
7. IMPULSE/IMPACT NOISE MEASURED

Measurements of impulse or impact noise depend on the guidelines and standards in

force. Before you measure impact or impulse noise, you must ensure that the equipment
has the capacity to measure this kind of noise. Normally measurements of either peak
noise levels together with the actual number of peaks, or percentage dose or equivalent
sound levels are required. Where there is little background noise, as for example on an
outdoor rifle range, the measuring of peak pressures may be most appropriate.

In industrial settings, there is usually considerable background noise in addition to the

impulse noise. In such cases, provided that a 3 dB(A) exchange rate is used, dosimeters or
ISLMs which are sufficiently sensitive to respond well to peaks may be more appropriate.
One can account for all of the noise, continuous and impulse, in the one measurement.

8. FREQUENCY ANALYSIS

Frequency analysis is measuring noise level at each frequency or pitch. Frequency

analysis is not required when the purpose of noise measurement is to assess compliance
with regulatory exposure limits or to assess risk of hearing loss. For such purposes the A-
weighted noise level in dBA, percent noise dose or time-weighted average (TWA)
equivalent sound level is sufficient. The frequency analysis is usually needed only for the
selection of appropriate engineering control methods.

Sometimes it is necessary to determine the actual frequency distribution of the noise. A

detailed frequency analysis is called narrow band analysis. In this method the entire
audible frequency range is divided into frequency windows of fixed width of a few hertz
and noise level is measured in dB units at each of these frequency windows. Narrow band
analysis is normally not needed for workplace noise. Such analysis is used for
engineering measurements. For workplace noise we need octave band analysis.

Octave bands are identified by their centre frequency. The band width increases as the
centre frequency increases. The audible sound frequency range (approximately 20 to
20,000 Hz) has been divided into 11 octave bands for this purpose. An octave band filter
set can be attached to an SLM to measure the sound level in each octave band.

9. CORRECTION FOR BACKGROUND NOISE

Sometimes it is necessary to determine whether or not the background noise is

influencing the total noise level measured when the noise source is "on". In such cases,
two readings of noise level are taken - one with the noise source "on" and the other with
the noise source "off". The following table can be used to determine noise level due to the
noise source. For example if the total noise level is 97 dB and the background noise is 90
dB, the noise due to source is 96 dB (97-1). If the difference is more than 10 dB, no
correction is needed.
Table 2
Background Noise Level Correction
TOTAL NOISE LEVEL(dB) VALUE TO SUBTRACT FROM TOTAL
minus BACKGROUND NOISE LEVEL NOISE
(dB) LEVEL TO GET NOISE
dB DUE TO THE SOURCE
8 - 10 0.5
6-8 1
4.5 - 6 1.5
4 - 4.5 2
3.5 2.5
3 3

10. NOISE SURVEY

A noise survey takes noise measurements throughout an entire plant or section to identify
noisy areas. Noise surveys provide very useful information which enables us to identify:

 Areas where employees are likely to be exposed to harmful levels of noise and
personal dosimetry may be needed.
 Machines and equipment which generate harmful levels of noise.
 Employees who might be exposed to unacceptable noise levels.
 Noise control options to reduce noise exposure.
 Variability in noise levels during different operating conditions
 Impact on noise level from modifications or changes in operations

Noise survey is conducted in areas where noise exposure is likely to be hazardous. Noise
level refers to the level of sound. A noise survey involves measuring noise level at
selected locations throughout an entire plant or sections to identify noisy areas. This is
usually done with a sound level meter (SLM). A reasonably accurate sketch showing the
locations of workers and noisy machines is drawn. Noise level measurements are taken at
a suitable number of positions around the area and are marked on the sketch. The more
measurements taken, the more accurate the survey is. A noise map can be produced by
drawing lines on the sketch between points of equal sound level. Noise survey maps, like
that in Figure 2, provide very useful information by clearly identifying areas where there
are noise hazards.
Figure 2

The SLM must be calibrated before and after each use. The manual gives the calibration
procedure. To take measurements, the SLM is held at arm's length at the ear height for those
exposed to the noise.

When the purpose of noise measurement is to assess the risk of hearing loss, the microphone
position should be as close as possible to the location of the ears of the employee for whose
benefit the noise exposure data are being taken. Shielding by presence of employee and other
objects between the noise source and microphone should be avoided. The employee need not
be present during the measurement. For a stationary employee, the microphone should be
positioned above the shoulder or as near as feasible. The microphone should be located
within 0.5 metre of the employee's shoulder. If the employee works in a standing position, the
microphone should be positioned preferably 1.5 metres above the floor. If the employee
works in a sitting position, the microphone should be positioned at 1.1 metres above the floor.

A standard SLM takes only instantaneous noise measurements. This is sufficient in

workplaces with continuous noise levels. But in workplaces with impulse, intermittent or
variable noise levels, the SLM makes it difficult to determine a person's average exposure to
noise over a work shift. One solution in such workplaces is a noise dosimeter.