Many employees in various sectors are exposed to excessive noise due to their working conditions and suffer from permanent diseases called occupational diseases. Therefore, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security issued a Regulation on the Protection of Employees from Noise-Related Risks in 2013 in order to protect them from health and safety risks arising from exposure to noise, especially from hearing-related hazards. Based on the Occupational Health and Safety Law, this regulation is also based on the European Parliament and Council Directive 2003 / 10 / EC.
In accordance with this regulation and related standards, enterprises are required to have noise measurements at least once a year. The necessity for these measurements is based on the following reasons:
- To check compliance with statutory regulations
- To evaluate complaints from employees
- To determine the number of employees exposed to noise
- To determine sources of noise and measures to be taken
- To assess the effectiveness of the measures taken
- To create a business noise map
- For calibration verification studies
- To prepare the Environmental Impact Assessment Report
Before starting noise measurements, it is necessary to make a plan in order to avoid mistakes, labor, time and material losses. Therefore, the purpose, manner and duration of the noise and evaluation period must be carried out in a plan. In addition, the measuring devices must be calibrated before and after each measurement.
Measurements are generally based on the following parameters:
• Equivalent noise level
• Sound interference level
• Highest sound level
• Lowest sound level
• Highest peak value
• Instant sound level
The length of time to measure may vary depending on the measurement purpose, type of measurement, mode, location, noise type and source.
In this regulation, the lowest exposure action values, the highest exposure action values and the calculation methods of exposure limit values are shown.
What is the Scope of Noise Exposure Measurement?
In accordance with the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, enterprises are obliged to have their work environments tested and examined at certain intervals and using certain methods. In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Law and Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment Regulation issued by the same Ministry, enterprises are required to carry out risk assessment. The common objective of both regulations is to ensure that employees do not experience any health problems and that enterprises take necessary measures in this direction. Noise exposure measurements are also made for this purpose.
Some of the national and international standards that should be taken into consideration during these studies can be listed as follows:
• TS 2607 ISO 1999 Acoustics - Determination of exposure to workplace noise and estimation of hearing loss caused by this noise
• TS EN ISO 9612 Acoustics - Determination of exposure to noise in the working environment - Engineering method
• ISO EN ISO 9614-1 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound intensity - Part 1: Measurement at different points
• TS EN ISO 3746 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels and sound energy levels of noise sources using sound pressure - Observation method using a surrounding measuring surface on a reflective plane
our organization TÜRCERT Technical Control and Certification Inc.provides measurement services in accordance with national and international standards and with an impartial approach and complies with the standards of TS EN ISO / IEC 17020 General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Inspection Organizations. Further information on noise exposure measurement or other measurements can be requested from our organization.