Download or read book Identifying the Benefits of Engineering Noise Controls Through a Business Case written by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Identifying the Benefits of Engineering Noise Controls Through a Business Case written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Objective: To develop a business case that promotes adoption of noise controls by reducing barriers to industry acceptance and enhancing drivers that foster their implementation. Background: Over 75% of the U.S. mining workforce is exposed to hazardous noise, putting them at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Consequently, coal miners suffer high rates of hearing impairment that increase to 70%-90% by retirement age. To address the noise problem for coal miners, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) first determined that the continuous mining machine (CMM) ranked first among machines associated with reported coal noise overexposures. Further studies found that most CMM noise is generated by three component systems on the machine: dust collection, cutting, and conveying. Of these systems, the on-board chain conveyor was found to be a dominant noise source. Noise generated by the conveying system was addressed through the development of a urethane-coated flight bar chain. The coated chain, shown in Figure 1, has demonstrated an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) reduction of operator exposure by 3 dB(A). It has since been accepted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) as a "technologically achievable" noise control for CMM operators who are exposed to noise that exceeds the MSHA permissible exposure level. Having demonstrated the noise reduction performance of the coated chain, NIOSH has assembled information into a business case that can be used by operations considering adopting the chain at their worksite. Business Case: A business case is often used in organizations to assist rational decision-making about major initiatives. It facilitates systematic consideration of financial, organizational, and market perspectives. For occupational health and safety initiatives involving control technologies, a business case can encompass financial and organizational concerns alongside long-term health and safety outcomes. Although NIOSH and its partners have developed control technologies to reduce mine workers' overexposure to noise, implementation at the workplace has been impeded by slow industry acceptance and buy-in. Some of the slowness is due to a lack of readily available information needed to move forward with implementation. In some cases, there are real or perceived barriers. These are addressed below, followed by several drivers that can accelerate implementation of noise controls. Barriers: Financial expense: The perception that a noise control will increase costs is often used to defer investment in a control that might otherwise reduce health and safety risks. NIOSH worked with its industry partners when developing the coated chain to minimize any cost premium. The urethane-coated 38-inch conveyor chain produced by industry partner Cincinnati Mine Machinery costs 46% more than a standard single-sprocket chain. As demand and sales increase, the additional production volume may allow the company to reduce the cost further until it is comparable to that of a standard chain. These cost differences may be offset through long-term gains in lowered workers' compensation costs and insurance premiums related to noise-induced hearing loss. Unfamiliar maintenance: The negative perception of new or different maintenance procedures may inhibit companies from switching chains. In working with the chain manufacturer, NIOSH found that the urethane-coated chain does not require any new or unusual maintenance procedures that differ from the manufacturer's standard processes. Adhering to standard maintenance procedures (e.g., ensuring chain tension) will keep the urethane coating from wearing prematurely. Unfamiliar installation: Even though the urethane-coated chain will fit on any CMM that has a standard 38- or 30-inch conveyor system, there may be a perception that chain installation will change. During field testing, NIOSH research found there were no differences between installing a standard or a coated chain. The urethane-coated flight bar chains are engineered as a direct replacement that requires no modification of the machine. Variable conditions: Coal mine conditions can be highly variable, and there may be concerns that the urethane-coated chain cannot hold up in the more extreme conditions. To address these concerns, the coated chain was tested in the harshest conditions that could be found. It was placed in construction development and production sections that encounter exceptionally high wear and impact loads, including mining and conveying solid rock and construction debris. The coated chain worked successfully in these sections despite the harsh conditions. Durability: New technologies or equipment often prompt questions about whether they are as durable as the current technology or equipment. For the urethane-coated chain, these questions centered on whether it has the same chain life as a standard single-sprocket, noncoated chain. The coated chain was field-tested in three U.S. mines in a wide variety of mining conditions. At these mines, the urethane-coated chain had the same replacement rate as the standard noncoated chain, meeting or exceeding the mines' expectations. Drivers: Safety: Studies that investigated the link between noise and safety have found that workers whose daily noise exposures exceed 90 dB(A) have higher rates of single and multiple accidents. The risk is elevated for workers with normal hearing and is even higher for workers who have a hearing loss. Noise controls like the urethane-coated chain that reduce noise exposure can therefore also have a safety benefit. Lower noise exposure: Another form of risk is the increased likelihood of a noise-induced hearing handicap or impairment. A NIOSH-developed model shows that a 65-year-old worker with 10 or more years of exposure will have a higher likelihood of a hearing impairment with higher average noise exposures (Table 1). So, for example, if the exposure can be reduced from 94 to 90 dB(A), 11 fewer workers out of 100 would acquire a noise-induced hearing impairment. Lower stress: Reducing the noise exposure of CMM operators through the use of a urethane-coated chain will have an added benefit of lower workplace stress. Noise has been found to be a stressor that can interfere with concentration, causing errors and accidents. Stress is also linked to certain illnesses that can worsen absenteeism, reduce productivity, and increase insurance costs. Lower workers' compensation costs: Workers' compensation insurance provides financial reparation to workers who sustain workplace injuries, fatalities, and occupational disease. The insurance companies make payments to the affected workers while the mining companies pay premiums to the insurers. The premiums a company has to pay can be indirectly affected by claims experience, along with other factors. During 2006-2009, the two most recognized workers' compensation insurance carriers for the U.S. coal mining industry received 92 claims filed for (nontraumatic) hearing loss compensation. Together, they paid nearly $750,000 in hearing loss claims. Summary: The goal of this research is to reduce mine workers' overexposure to noise and ultimately reduce the number of workers who suffer from NIHL. Using a business case model can overcome the barriers and concerns that delay industry acceptance and use of control technologies such as the urethanecoated chain. The coated chain is part of a suite of controls developed by NIOSH and others that can reduce worker overexposure to noise. By assembling information into a business case model to challenge the barriers to industry acceptance, NIOSH is working to promote adoption of effective engineering noise controls."--NIOSHTIC-2.

Download or read book A Practical Guide to Effective Hearing Conservation Programs in the Workplace written by Alice Harriet Suter and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Rail Human Factors written by J Wilson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-05 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, for reasons connected to the organization of the industry, technical developments, and major safety concerns, rail human factors has grown in importance at an international level. Despite its importance, however, supporting literature has been largely restricted to specialist journal publications and technical reports. Rail Human Factors addresses this imbalance by providing the first fully comprehensive overview of the area. The volume includes contributions from leading ergonomists, psychologists, sociologists, management scientists and engineers whose common theme is to investigate, understand and design for people on the railways, including staff, passengers and the general public. Every area of ergonomics/human factors is covered: physical design of work and equipment in maintenance; cognitive ergonomics in driving, signalling and control; organizational and social ergonomics in the way teams are formed, plans are made and organizations are structured and run. Topics covered include: Systems views of rail human factors Driver models and performance Train and cab design Network and train control systems, including ERTMS Signals and signal SPADS Signalling and control center design Signaller performance Control center interfaces Workload, situation awareness, team working Human error and reliability Timetabling and planning Maintenance planning and work Safety climate and safety culture Passenger comfort and behaviour Station design Public information systems Level crossings Trespass and vandalism Ergonomics standards and guidelines Human Factors integration The book is the definitive guide for all those concerned with making railways safer, more

Download or read book The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America written by and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

Download or read book Code of Federal Regulations written by and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Special edition of the Federal Register, containing a codification of documents of general applicability and future effect ... with ancillaries.

Download or read book Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss written by John Robert Franks and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book OSHA Oversight Hearings on Proposed Rules on Hazards Identification written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on Health and Safety and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 894 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Regulatory Reform Act S 1080 written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 1300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book NIOSH Publications on Noise and Hearing written by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Commerce Business Daily written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 1606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Noise and Fluids Engineering written by Robert Hickling and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Noise written by Daniel Kahneman and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2021-05-18 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Nobel Prize-winning author of Thinking, Fast and Slow and the coauthor of Nudge, a revolutionary exploration of why people make bad judgments and how to make better ones—"a tour de force” (New York Times). Imagine that two doctors in the same city give different diagnoses to identical patients—or that two judges in the same courthouse give markedly different sentences to people who have committed the same crime. Suppose that different interviewers at the same firm make different decisions about indistinguishable job applicants—or that when a company is handling customer complaints, the resolution depends on who happens to answer the phone. Now imagine that the same doctor, the same judge, the same interviewer, or the same customer service agent makes different decisions depending on whether it is morning or afternoon, or Monday rather than Wednesday. These are examples of noise: variability in judgments that should be identical. In Noise, Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein show the detrimental effects of noise in many fields, including medicine, law, economic forecasting, forensic science, bail, child protection, strategy, performance reviews, and personnel selection. Wherever there is judgment, there is noise. Yet, most of the time, individuals and organizations alike are unaware of it. They neglect noise. With a few simple remedies, people can reduce both noise and bias, and so make far better decisions. Packed with original ideas, and offering the same kinds of research-based insights that made Thinking, Fast and Slow and Nudge groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers, Noise explains how and why humans are so susceptible to noise in judgment—and what we can do about it.

Download or read book Index written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A permanent index is compiled irregularly which cumulates all indexes for a given period, and is not further updated.

Download or read book Engineering Noise Control written by David A. Bies and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-12-01 with total page 826 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classic and authoritative student textbook contains information that is not over simplified and can be used to solve the real world problems encountered by noise and vibration consultants as well as the more straightforward ones handled by engineers and occupational hygienists in industry. The book covers the fundamentals of acoustics, theoretical concepts and practical application of current noise control technology. It aims to be as comprehensive as possible while still covering important concepts in sufficient detail to engender a deep understanding of the foundations upon which noise control technology is built. Topics which are extensively developed or overhauled from the fourth edition include sound propagation outdoors, amplitude modulation, hearing protection, frequency analysis, muffling devices (including 4-pole analysis and self noise), sound transmission through partitions, finite element analysis, statistical energy analysis and transportation noise. For those who are already well versed in the art and science of noise control, the book will provide an extremely useful reference. A wide range of example problems that are linked to noise control practice are available on www.causalsystems.com for free download.

Download or read book Managing Noise and Vibration at Work written by Tim South and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-05-13 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New EU Physical Agents Directives on Noise and Vibration will be incorporated into UK law by February 2006. Explicit action levels for vibration will be introduced, while the action levels for noise will be drastically cut. In order to comply with these Directives, companies need to assess noise and vibration levels and provide necessary protection for their employees. They are also required to monitor and if necessary reduce noise and vibration risks. Managing Noise and Vibration at Work introduces noise and both hand-arm and whole-body vibration by explaining what they are and how they can affect the body, drawing out the similarities and differences between the hazards. It provides clear explanations of the requirements of the EU Directives and explains how to fulfill them. Practical information on measurement, making noise and vibration assessments, and approaches to controlling risk help the reader to understand the issues of noise and vibration exposure in the workplace. The text is supported by information and diagrams of measuring equipment, advice on how to plan a survey, worked examples of necessary calculations, and charts and diagrams that can be used in place of the calculations. Suitable hearing and vibration protection is detailed. Case studies help to set the subject in context and highlight common errors and pitfalls. The book fully covers the syllabuses of the Institute of Acoustics’ certificate courses in Workplace Noise Assessment and Management of Occupational Exposure to Hand-arm Vibration. It will also be of use to those studying for the Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control. For those studying for the NEBOSH Diploma in Health and Safety, this book satisfies modules 1E and 2E. As the Institute of Acoustics syllabuses are based on the Health and Safety Executive's guidelines, the book will also be a useful up-to-date reference for: risk managers; Health and Safety advisors and managers; occupational hygienists; environmental health officers; and HSE inspectors, especially in the Construction, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Forestry sectors. Tim South is a Senior Lecturer in Acoustics at the School of Health and Human Sciences at Leeds Metropolitan University, and a member of the Institute of Acoustics’ Education Committee. He teaches the Institute of Acoustics courses for the Certificate of Competence in Workplace Noise Assessment, the Certificate in the Management of Occupational Exposure to Hand-arm Vibration, and also the Institute’s Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control. He has extensive consultancy experience in workplace noise assessments, hand-arm vibration and whole-body vibration exposure assessments.

Download or read book Occupational Noise Exposure written by Department of Health and Human Services and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2014-02-19 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress declared that its purpose was to assure, so far as possible, safe and healthful working conditions for every working man and woman and to preserve our human resources. In this Act, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is charged with recommending occupational safety and health standards and describing exposure concentrations that are safe for various periods of employment-including but not limited to concentrations at which no worker will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his or her work experience. By means of criteria documents, NIOSH communicates these recommended standards to regulatory agencies (including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]) and to others in the occupational safety and health community. Criteria documents provide the scientific basis for new occupational safety and health standards. These documents generally contain a critical review of the scientific and technical information available on the prevalence of hazards, the existence of safety and health risks, and the adequacy of control methods. In addition to transmitting these documents to the Department of Labor, NIOSH also distributes them to health professionals in academic institutions, industry, organized labor, public interest groups, and other government agencies. In 1972, NIOSH published Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Noise, which provided the basis for a recommended standard to reduce the risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of occupational noise exposure [NIOSH 1972]. NIOSH has now evaluated the latest scientific information and has revised some of its previous recommendations. The 1998 recommendations go beyond attempting to conserve hearing by focusing on preventing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This criteria document reevaluates and reaffirms the recommended exposure limit (REL) for occupational noise exposure established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1972. The REL is 85 decibels, A-weighted, as an 8-hr time-weighted average (85 dBA as an 8-hr TWA). Exposures at or above this level are hazardous. By incorporating the 4000-Hz audiometric frequency into the definition of hearing impairment in the risk assessment, NIOSH has found an 8% excess risk of developing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) during a 40-year lifetime exposure at the 85-dBA REL. NIOSH has also found that scientific evidence supports the use of a 3-dB exchange rate for the calculation of TWA exposures to noise. The recommendations in this document go beyond attempts to conserve hearing by focusing on prevention of occupational NIHL. For workers whose noise exposures equal or exceed 85 dBA, NIOSH recommends a hearing loss prevention program (HLPP) that includes exposure assessment, engineering and administrative controls, proper use of hearing protectors, audiometric evaluation, education and motivation, recordkeeping, and program audits and evaluations. Audiometric evaluation is an important component of an HLPP. To provide early identification of workers with increasing hearing loss, NIOSH has revised the criterion for significant threshold shift to an increase of 15 dB in the hearing threshold level (HTL) at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 6000 Hz in either ear, as determined by two consecutive tests. To permit timely intervention and prevent further hearing losses in workers whose HTLs have increased because of occupational noise exposure, NIOSH no longer recommends age correction on individual audiograms.