Are you ready for June 16, 2023?
— New Decree, New Limit!
— Monitor Your Industrial Noise Level… Every Five Years!
Are My Workers Exposed to Noise?
— Determination of Workers Noise Exposure
— Sound & Vibration Source Determination & Acoustic Imaging
— Acoustic Mapping and Simulations
— Solution Design and Proposal
Interested? Ask for Your Free Quote!
Are you ready for June 16, 2023?
New Decree, New Limit!
Currently, the noise exposure limit in Quebec is set at 90 dBA for a period of 8 hours. The decree 781-2021 of the law on health and safety at work will come into force on June 16, 2023. This decree specifies that the new exposure limit for 8 hours will be 85 dBA.
More generally, the following table gives the new maximum exposure levels:
| Maximum Exposure Level | Maximum Exposure Time |
|---|---|
| 85 dBA | 8 hours |
| 88 dBA | 4 hours |
| 91 dBA | 2 hours |
| 94 dBA | 1 hour |
| 97 dBA | 30 minutes |
| 100 dBA | 15 minutes |
| 103 dBA | 7 minutes |
Monitor Your Industrial Noise Level… Every Five Years!
According to the new decree, “the employer must, every 5 years, evaluate each work situation which presents an overrun of the exposure limit values in order to determine the reasonable means to eliminate or reduce the noise at the source, to respect the values in article 131 [of the decree] or at the very least, reduce the exposure of workers to noise.”
Are My Workers Exposed to Noise?
Mecanum’s acoustics and vibration experts can help you perform a noise evaluation using the following tools:
Determination of Workers Noise Exposure
When a worker remains at the same workstation and is exposed to a continuous sound source, a simple measurement using a sound level meter is sufficient.
If the worker has to move around or is subjected to fluctuating sound sources, dosimetric measurements are preferred. In this case, a device (called a dosimeter) will equip the worker, allowing permanent recording of the actual noise exposure level of the workers as defined by the ISO 9612 standard.
Sound & Vibration Source Determination & Acoustic Imaging
Implementing a noise reduction plan first involves being able to identify the main sources of noise. Mecanum experts have both the expertise and the tools to identify and quantify the main sources of noise in your plant.
The use of an acoustic camera helps to quickly detect hot spots on the various equipment in the plant.
Subsequently, acoustic intensity measurements make it possible to determine the acoustic power of the sources, one of the entry points for acoustic simulations.
Acoustic Mapping and Simulations
One of the best ways to estimate the noise in a workshop or factory is to carry out an acoustic mapping of the room. Mecanum experts can obtain this cartography experimentally or by simulations.
Simulation makes possible to calculate the noise at the various sensitive locations in the plant. After the simulation validation, the model helps implementing a structured noise reduction plan with the best dB/$ ratio. The simulations make it possible to validate solutions such as the addition of absorbent materials, the masking of certain sources or the addition of silencers.
Often, upgrading the acoustics of a room requires costly interventions that can be spread over several years. The effect on noise of a solution can be masked by the noise emitted by other sources, leading to a feeling of discouragement when implementing the noise reduction plan. The use of simulations makes it possible to predict the effect of each improvement, even if it is small.
Solution Design and Proposal
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) proposes a hierarchy of means of risk control presenting the best practices in terms of implementation of means of risk protection. Mecanum’s experts will help you implement solutions based on this approach.
Eliminating noise starts with identifying the noisy elements of a factory or workshop. With those elements, Mecanum experts will look at the most effective noise reduction methods. We can evaluate the implementation of enclosures, silencers and the acoustic treatment of the premises. Whenever possible, the industrial noise factor should be taken into account right from the purchase phase of new equipment. The wearing of hearing protection should be the last element to be considered to protect workers from noise.
