A waveform profile-based noise measurement system and methodology for complex noise evaluation

Abstract

Noise induced hearing loss remains as one of the most prevalent occupational related health problems in the United States. Many workplaces in various industries are subjected to the high-level complex noise exposure, which is a combination of impulsive noise and continuous Gaussian noise. The current noise measurement guidelines and devices (e.g., conventional sound level meters) are limited on accurate assessment of the complex noise. In this study, a new waveform profile based noise measurement system has been developed to detect high-level complex noise in industrial workplaces. Pilot field noise measurements have been conducted using the developed system in two selected coal mining facilities (i.e., a wet coal preparation plant and a dry coal handling plant). A wavelet transform based algorithm has been applied for characterization and analysis of the complex noise measured in the fields. The results show that the developed system can effectively measure and collect the waveforms of the high-level complex noise in coal mining facilities. The proposed new metrics, together with conventional noise metrics, can more extensively assess the auditory risk of the high-level complex noise in industrial fields.