Noise, or unwanted sound, is one of the most common occupational hazards. Exposure to high levels of noise may cause hearing loss, create physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication, and contribute to accidents and injuries by making it difficult to hear warning signals.

 

There are various factors that may indicate noise is a problem in the workplace. While people react differently to noise, subjective responses should not be ignored because they may provide warnings that noise may be at unacceptable levels.

Noisy conditions can make normal conversation difficult. OSHA states that:

• When noise levels are above 80 decibels (dB), people have to speak very loudly.
• When noise levels are between 85 and 90 dB, people have to shout.
• When noise levels are greater than 95 dB, people have to move close together to hear each other at all.

Integrated Services comprehensive noise survey helps your company to identify different noise level areas. We plot the sound level data on a floor plan resulting in a noise contour map, which provides a simple representation of the sound field over the rig. Besides identifying regions of noise levels, these map may also be used to visually educate and train workers regarding where hearing protection is mandatory, and as a tool for identifying hot spots for potential noise controls.