Creating noise contour maps utilizing the NIOSH Noise Mapper App (A pilot study)

Abstract

High noise levels can lead to physical and psychological stress, reduced productivity, and permanent hearing loss in workers. Traditional noise monitoring techniques indicate that mine workers, for example, consistently have a higher level of noise exposure when compared to workers in other heavy industries. It is critical to conduct risk assessments, identify noise sources, and control them to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recently developed the smartphone-based NIOSH Noise Mapper Application, which generates a noise contour map to enable individuals, workers, and hearing conservation professionals to apply the hierarchy of controls for optimized prioritization and focused targeting of the most effective hearing conservation interventions. Preliminary testing of the Noise Mapper app has been carried out in a hemi-anechoic chamber at the NIOSH Mining Laboratory in Pittsburgh. The results demonstrate that the Noise Mapper app can quickly and cost-effectively generate adequate noise contour maps to identify noise hazards and relevant noise-generating machinery to prioritize and target the most effective interventions. However, additional testing is needed to evaluate the Noise Mapper app's performance in real-world environments and its ability to measure multiple sound sources. This new tool supplements, but does not, replace traditional methods of creating noise contour maps.