• Project number: F 2451
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
• Status: Completed Project

Description:

Noise is one of the most common health risks at workplaces. It can cause hearing loss, increase the risk of accidents as well as affect the health and work performance of employees. Therefore, as part of the general risk assessment, employers are obligated to assess and, if necessary, reduce the noise exposure according to the state of the art – for example by using low-noise work equipment and procedures or providing acoustically designed workspaces.

In order to support employers in the economical and effective planning of low-noise workplaces, this project developed a practicable approach to sound prediction based on noise emission data. This allows an estimation of the sound pressure levels at workplaces from data on the geometric and acoustic parameters of the considered room as well as the existing sound sources.

From the data on the positions of sound sources and workplaces as well as the noise emission data of the machines, given by sound power level L_WA and emission sound pressure level L_pA as single values, the prediction of sound pressure levels at workplaces is calculated by use of an iterative calculation method.

With the results of the project, companies are to be enabled to assess risks for employees due to noise under specified conditions using manufacturer information on noise emission in accordance with a source-related risk assessment.