Noise standard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Noise standard - Essay Example s of exposure that represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect on their ability to hear and understand normal speech. Their TLV publications can be accessed through purchase since their publications have copyrights. ACGIH-TLVs do not have a legal force in USA; they are only recommendations/ guides and not regulatory limits due to individual susceptibility, hence ACGIH is not a standard setting body. Regulatory bodies view ACGIH’s guidelines as an expression of scientific opinion. ACGIH has several committees set up that decides which substance is to be selected for study and votes once a year on action terms. Each substance / element is selected based upon its availability, relevance and scientific data. ACGIH has established exposure guidelines for occupational exposure to noise in their Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), 85 dBA PEL with a 3 dBA exchange rate. ACGIH guidelines are used to measure workpla ce and personal noise exposure limits, assess risk of hearing loss, determine the need for hearing conservation program and identifying practical methods of controlling noise exposures. As compared to ACGIH’s guidelines, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) a part of the USA’s Department of Labor (USDOL) publish Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL). PEL are regulatory limits enforced on all employers. These PELs were initially based on ACGIH TLVs in 1971. If OSHA determines the need for a specific standard it calls for advisory committees (ad hoc or standing) to develop recommendations. OSHA requires that when workplace exposures exceed 100% of the PEL i.e. exposure exceed 90dBA, feasible engineering or administrative controls must be deployed to reduce noise levels. Engineering control includes redesigning space and operations to reduce noise at source, transmission path or at receivers end. Administrative controls include scheduling and controlling the level of exposure