Original scientific paper
Strains and Stresses of Workers Caused by Exposure to Noise
Andrej Polajnar
; University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Laboratory for Production and Operations Management,
Nataša Vujica Herzog
; University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Laboratory for Production and Operations Management,
Borut Buchmeister
; University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Laboratory for Production and Operations Management,
Simona Jevšnik
; Academy of Design in Ljubljana, Associated Member of University of Primorska, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
This paper examines basic aspects of determining strain due to noise on workers in an industrial environment. Technological development enables better working conditions which then demands changes in methods for measuring strain and stress loadings. A modified method is now presented since the existing method for determining strains caused by exposure to noise is proving insufficient. The objective of the modified method is to eliminate the shortcomings of the existing
method by taking into account the complex effects of noise in specific working environments. The effects of exposure to noise will be assessed by using a new strain-assessment procedure which incorporates the effects of nature of noise, characteristics of noise, current standards on protection from noise, and the influence of noise on different jobs. This new noise-assessment approach uses new measurement techniques based on tonality and impulsive noise corrections. The modified method has been tested at various workplaces in the metal-working industry. A comparison of the results obtained by using both methods confirms the suitability of the modified method, thus providing a more complete approach to evaluating strain due to noise.
Keywords
strains and stresses; ergonomic coefficient; noise; impulsive noise correction; tone correction
Hrčak ID:
90390
URI
Publication date:
5.10.2012.
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