Buy Quiet Research Articles

Noise information in sales literature of machinery as a support to Sell and Buy Quiet

The Sell & Buy Quiet concept helps employers to protect their workers from risks arising from the exposure to noise emitted by machines. Reliable noise emission data are key to successfully implement this concept in practice. The NOMAD (NOise MAchinery Directive) project aims to assess and improve the quality of noise information provided by machinery manufacturers in sales literature and instruction manuals of machinery in accordance with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Here, we present the results of a pre-market surveillance exercise, which examined the compliance of noise information in sales literature. Machinery manufacturers have to provide this information in compliance with the European Machinery Directive, if the sales literature contains the performance characteristics of the machine. The study investigated 85 samples of sales literature and 45 instruction manuals collected in five EU Member States. The faults found in sales literature were similar to those identified in the original NOMAD survey (NOMAD Phase 1), including the absence of noise information, confusion between noise emission and noise exposure quantities, incorrect notations and terminology, as well as missing noise emission quantities required by the Machinery Directive. Based on our findings, we make recommendations to stakeholders to improve the situation.

Experimental investigation of possible improvements of ISO 9614

Sound power level is the key quantity to describe the noise emission of products and is needed to reduce noise at work, at home, and in the environment, e.g. for promoting and selecting low noise products (Sell and Buy Quiet). Sound power determination based on sound intensity measurements has advantages in non-ideal acoustic environments, e.g. indoors, but outside of acoustic test rooms, and is standardized in the ISO 9614 series. The current version of all three parts of ISO 9614 is their first edition. The advances of technology and knowledge indicate that the whole series should be revised. The improvement of the sound intensity method was investigated regarding a number of aspects. The use of a single spacer up to frequencies, which are outside of the currently usable frequency range, was studied. The effect of electrical noise was investigated to extend the applicability of the method to low noise sources. The discretization of the enveloping surface is discussed in relation to the accuracy grade of the measurements. The possibility to measure with more than one probes is also presented. The results indicate that there is the possibility for a substantial improvement of the ISO 9614 series.

Sell and Buy Quiet - life cycle score estimation using online searches for impact wrenches

Can Sell and Buy Quiet be generalized to consider all the factors influencing a purchasing decision and be implemented through web searches of product data? A simple web search of the "best impact wrenches of 2022" yielded a list of impact wrenches given various classification schemes. These classifications were based on length, overall physical size, versatility, energy system (cordless), affordability, manufacturer, and other attributes of impact wrenches. A list of the best impact wrench for each classification was made from the search results. An additional web search identified the best shopping websites for impact wrenches. These shopping websites had well organized product filters which clearly identified the factors that consumers consider important when purchasing an impact wrench. The important impact wrench attribute data were amassed from user manuals and web searches. The life cycle scores were estimated using the Safety Procurement Standard SAE AS6228 for each of the classification schemes. The weighting of each of the factors was based on the importance given by the classification schemes. For each classification scheme, the impact wrenches were then sorted by descending life cycle scores. For a particular classification scheme, higher life cycle scores indicate a better overall balance of the safety, health, and cost effectiveness.

Simplification of ISO 3744 - Making the Most Important Standard for Determination of Sound Power Levels Easier to Use

Sound power level (L_W) is the key quantity to describe the noise emission of products and is needed to reduce noise at work, at home, and in the environment, e.g. for promoting and selecting low noise products (Sell and Buy Quiet). ISO 3744:2010 is the main standard referred to by most product test codes and regulatory requirements for determining L_W. It is used by laboratories, noise control engineers, and manufacturers. Due to its structure and length, the usability of the current document is limited. The main body of ISO 3744:2010 contains so much information that the basic concept of sound power is obscured. To improve usability of ISO 3744:2010 three projects were launched: 1. A revision and restructuring of ISO 3744 with a simplified main body and a series of annexes for special cases; 2. A new standard: ISO/CD 5114-1 on the uncertainty of L_W determined from sound pressure levels; 3. A new standard: ISO/CD 26101-2 to determine the environmental correction used in determining L_W. These new standards contain specific information needed by some users while ISO/CD 3744 focusses on determining L_W. We present key aspects of all three committee drafts and explain how and why ISO 3744 should be revised.

"Buy Quiet" with the added benefit of considering all safety, health, and cost factors

Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous workplace noise. The industries with the highest prevalence of self-reported occupational HL were Mining (61%), Construction (51%) and Manufacturing (47%). "Buy Quiet" is the most strategic way to reduce noise exposure. However, there are other safety, health, and cost factors that significantly influence a purchasing decision for equipment. A more holistic approach is needed. The safety requirements procurement standard (SAE AS6228) has extensive guidance for evaluating all the safety, health, and cost factors influencing a purchasing decision for equipment. The factors are systematically incorporated into a five-year life cycle score. Unfortunately, this standard is underutilized. Publication of SAE AIR6916 and one-page guidance for each tool type will help to address the underutilization. SAE AIR6916 provides simplified guidance for using the AS6228 standard. One-page guidance documents with example evaluations of life cycle scores will make it easier for additional tools to be evaluated in a consistent and comparable manner. Working with retailers and online shopping websites is needed to make the life-cycle score information more easily accessible and easy to use for making purchasing decisions. Additional efforts are aimed at making the life-cycle score methodology routinely utilized and adaptable to new applications.

Sell and Buy Quiet - the extended concept to reduce noise (at work and at home)

Despite progress in legislation, e.g. laws requiring employers to assess and address the noise risk for their workers, and in the use of new technologies, e.g. battery powered tools or gardening equipment, noise-induced hearing loss remains a problem even today. The NOise MAchinery Directive (NOMAD) Task Force of the European Member States cooperating in market surveillance has raised the awareness of many relevant stakeholders regarding the need for cooperation between manufacturers of products emitting noise and their users. A promising means to deal with the noise problem is to make possible and effective a real competition towards quieter machines and equipment, so that market forces drive the technological development. To that end, we introduce the concept of Selling and Buying Quiet and address the issues hindering its application. These became evident during NOMAD Phase 2, in particular at NOMAD Workshop 2 in 2019. The issues comprise general aspects, e.g. education on proper determination of noise emissions by manufacturers and use of noise information by machine users, as well as specific problems with existing EU legislation. Finally, we provide ideas and set goals to improve the situation, so that Buying and Selling Quiet will become a reality.

Reducing Employee Noise Exposure in Manufacturing: A Review of the 2014 workshop

In 2014, the Institute for Noise Control Engineering (INCE) Foundation, the Noise Control Foundation and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health organized a meeting of industry, government, and academic experts to discuss "Reducing Noise Exposures in the Manufacturing: Best Practices, Innovative Techniques, and the Workplace of the Future." This presentation will review the content of the recommendations for hearing loss prevention programs, successful implementations for noise control engineering, and new techniques to predict noise exposures in the workplace. Efforts to develop Buy Quiet programs and to promote the Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention and Innovation will be reviewed.

Buy Quiet as a Means of Reducing Workplace Noise

Machinery supplied within the European Economic Area must comply with the noise requirements of Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Machine manufacturers must reduce noise to the lowest level achievable and provide noise emission data so people can use their products without risk from noise. Declared noise emissions should help purchasers and users identify low or lower noise machinery and provide information that can be used to develop a noise risk assessment. Purchasing quieter machinery is an effective way to avoid risk from occupational exposure to high noise. It also minimises the cost and effort needed to control any remaining noise risk. Effective selection of machinery, however, on the basis of the declared noise emissions is dependent on a number of factors including: (a) The availability of competing machinery with significantly different noise risk. (b) Manufacturers’ declared noise emissions that are indicative of actual noise risk. (c) Purchasers who understand the declared noise emissions and other information describing noise risk. A preliminary market surveillance exercise across Europe found that compliance with the noise requirements of the Machinery Directive is very poor; noise information provided in 80 % of machinery instructions did not comply. Investigations of a small number of harmonised noise test codes identified a range of problems that limit the usefulness of the declared noise emissions to rank the noise of competing machinery and identify real use noise risk. Insufficient support is in place to help purchasers who want to “buy quiet”. To buy quiet in today’s market purchasers need a high level of understanding of noise and noise control and must have a high degree of determination to achieve noise control in their workplace. Purchasers who successfully buy quiet seek out quieter machines and critically review the noise information supplied with them, which is often flawed. Such purchasers sometimes need to write, and check conformity with, their own specification for noise. It is likely purchasers would have more success in buying quiet if: (a) More manufacturers complied with the noise requirements of the Machinery Directive. (b) The standards supplementing the noise requirements of the Machinery Directive were more reliable. (c) The availability of quieter equipment was more widely publicised.

BUY QUIET INITIATIVE IN THE USA.

Noise-induced hearing loss is still considered one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States of America. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health launched a national Buy Quiet campaign to raise awareness of the importance of purchasing quieter equipment. Buy Quiet encourages companies to seek out and demand quieter equipment thus driving the market to design and create quieter products. In the long run, investment in noise controls should be more prevalent as the market demands quieter products. This paradigm occurs as the market for quieter products expands both from the supply side (manufacturers) and the demand side (tool and equipment purchasers). The key to experiencing the reduced costs and increased benefits of Buy Quiet will be to develop partnerships between manufacturers and consumers. To this end, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health continues to work with partners to educate stakeholders about the risks and true costs of noise-induced hearing loss, as well as the economic benefits of buying quieter equipment.

Challenges of Implementing a Buy Quiet Program in Australia in 2014

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) caused by excessive exposure to noise is a major health issue in Australian industry. It is generally accepted that most retrofit noise controls are difficult to maintain and do not deliver business value in terms of exposure reduction per unit cost. Buy Quiet programs relate to procurement of plant that does the same job but emits lower noise and are considered a feasible way to reduce noise exposure to workers without leading to overly onerous business costs. There is a perception that Buy Quiet programs are sufficiently supported by legislation and that the employers have access to all that they need to influence the purchase of plant that emits lower noise. However my experience in Australia suggests that this is not the case. This case study describes how obtaining reputable and comparable noise data from suppliers of noisy mining plant during Buy Quiet evaluations was not able to be achieved. The study highlights that one reason Buy Quiet programs continue to be ineffective is a lack of knowledge among suppliers of what “noise data” means.

Quieting the world by fostering a "Buy Quiet" attitude among product purchasers - INtroduction

Quieting the world by fostering a "Buy Quiet" attitude among product purchasers - INtroduction

Quieting the world by fostering a "Buy Quiet" attitude among product purchasers

Quieting the world by fostering a "Buy Quiet" attitude among product purchasers

Selling a quiet workplace through “buy quiet” programs.

By implementing within the procurement process a program coined as “buy quiet,” an employer can most effectively reduce hazardous levels of noise at their worksites. The process also shifts some of the responsibility for “quiet” onto the groups most capable of reducing noise emission at its source, the manufacturers of the machinery, and equipment being purchased. Controlling noise at its source is best accomplished by those manufacturers, as they are the technical experts on the operating parameters and therefore best suited to make the necessary design changes to reduce noise emissions without adversely affecting the quality or effectiveness of the operation. The process requires a purchaser to compare published noise emission levels of differing models of equipment being purchased and, whenever possible, purchasing the quieter model. Within the process are tradeoff analysis worksheets to weigh the cost of reduced noise emission with other standard purchasing requirements. Buy quiet provides an easy and effective method for an employer to demonstrate a commitment to the use of best available technology to reduce the number of worker’s suffering occupational noise induced hearing loss.

Government Procurement Leverage

yG A EALTH and safety can be promoted in many different ways. One underutilized technique is to employ governH ' ~ 2 ment procurement leverage to stimulate the production of improved goods and services. In May, I988, Ralph Nader and the Center for Study of Responsive Law e sponsored a two-day conference on that topic. This article is a selected summary of those meetings. Government is the largest U.S. consumer, purchasing close to zo% of the gross national product. The large buying power of the federal government, and cooperative procurement efforts by smaller localities, can be used to help create markets for new products, and to assist innovation. As Robin Zee, President of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing succinctly stated, "Nothing stimulates the marketplace like a big demand." Two case studies illustrate the potential of stimulative procurement for public health: the automobile airbag example and the Buy Quiet program. Gerald Carmen, Republican businessman and former head of the General Services Administration, described the GSA's role in airbag promotion. In the early I98os, Carmen received a phone call from Ralph Nader and they agreed to meet. Nader later referred Carmen to some pro-airbag insurance executives for additional discussion. Although much of his private experience was in the automotive field, Carmen knew little about passive restraint systems. He was stunned by how little the airbag components cost. Some evidence concerning airbag performance already existed, and Carmen became convinced that the GSA should purchase this safety device. Sitting down with the automobile companies, however, was a disheartening experience. Although GSA wanted to order 5,000 cars with airbags on the driver's side, both General Motors and Chrysler refused to respond to the initiative. Ford was also initially nonresponsive, but after the government offered to help subsidize production, Ford agreed to provide airbag-equipped Tempos. These were delivered to GSA in I98 5. Progressive insurers such as Travelers, Allstate and U.S.A.A. also