A Systematic Review of Full-Shift, Noise Exposure Levels Among Construction Workers: Are We Improving?

Current legislation and threshold limits for occupational noise exposure may not sufficiently account for higher vulnerability of the foetus. We conducted a systematic literature review and identified 20 relevant studies of prenatal noise exposure levels and health. Maternal tissues attenuate industrial noise by about 30 dB. The foetus responds the earliest to noise exposure from the 19th week of gestational age. There is some evidence of an increased risk of hearing loss at prenatal noise levels≥85 dBA (8 hour average) and little evidence at lower levels. Increased risks for preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age and congenital malformations are seen as single study findings at levels≥90 dBA. There is little evidence for how noise exposure may increase the risk of extra-auditive effects in the foetus. Methodological shortcomings and the scarce number of studies limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Still, we recommend pregnant women avoid working at noise levels≥85 dBA.

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Total Non-Occupational Noise Exposure of Construction Workers

Noise & Vibration Worldwide ◽

10.1260/0957456054530296 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 36 (5) ◽

pp. 12-19

Author(s):

Richard Neitzel

Keyword(s):

Noise Exposure ◽

Occupational Exposures ◽

Exposure Period ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Occupational Noise ◽

Occupational Noise Exposure ◽

Total Noise ◽

Occupational Activities ◽

Exposure Levels ◽

Additional Exposure

Total non-occupational noise exposure levels were estimated for a group of 266 construction apprentices participating in a longitudinal study of noise and hearing loss. Subjects were interviewed regarding their exposure to “episodic” activities (e.g., concert attendance), and noise levels for these activities were obtained from a literature review. “Routine” activities were assessed using a combination of self-reported activity logs and non-occupational noise dosimetry measurements. Routine and episodic activity exposures were combined into estimated annual Leq exposure levels for the 6760 nominal non-occupational hours in a year (LAeq6760h). The LAeq6760h levels were then transformed into equivalent levels for a 2000 hour exposure period (LA2000hn), which allowed direct comparison to occupational risk criteria. The median LAeq6760h was 73 dBA, and the median LA2000hn was 78 dBA. Nineteen percent of LA2000hn non-occupational exposures exceeded 85 dBA, the generally recommended occupational limit. Firearms use could not be incorporated into the total noise exposure estimates. However, firearms users reported more exposure to other noisy non-occupational activities than did non-shooters, and had higher estimated exposure levels even without including their firearms exposure. Non-occupational noise exposures among most construction workers present little additional exposure when compared to their occupational exposures. However, they may contribute significantly to overall exposure in the subset of workers who frequently participate in selected noisy activities.

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Noise Exposure of School Teachers – Exposure Levels and Health Effects

Archives of Acoustics ◽

10.2478/aoa-2013-0031 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 259-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marija Hadzi-Nikolova ◽

Dejan Mirakovski ◽

Milka Zdravkovska ◽

Bistra Angelovska ◽

Nikolinka Doneva

Keyword(s):

High Schools ◽

Health Effects ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Exposure Level ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

School Teachers ◽

Full Shift ◽

Exposure Levels ◽

Joint Study ◽

General School

Abstract Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences and Faculty of Medical Sciences starting from December 2012, launched joint study in order to investigate personal noise exposure and associated health effects in general school teachers population, starting from kindergartens up to high schools in Stip, Macedonia. In order to determine workplace associated noise exposure and associated health effects in this specific profession, a full shift noise exposure of 40 teachers from 1 kindergarten, 2 primary and 2 high schools were measured in real conditions using noise dosimeters. A-weighted equivalent-continuous sound pressure levels (LAeq) of each teacher were recorded during single activities (classes). Normalized 8-hours exposure, termed the noise exposure level (Lex;8 h) was also computed. Daily noise dose is another descriptor for noise exposure that was determined as a measure of the total sound energy to which workers have been exposed, as a result of working in the varying noise levels. Health effects were assessed trough a full scale epidemiological study which included 231 teachers from the same schools. Specific questionnaire was used to extract information about subject’s perception on occupational noise exposure, as well as theirs occupational and medical history.

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Noise Levels of Routine Non-Occupational Activities

Noise & Vibration Worldwide ◽

10.1260/0957456054037889 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 20-24

Author(s):

Richard Neitzel

Keyword(s):

Noise Exposure ◽

Occupational Exposures ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Noise Levels ◽

Activity Data ◽

Occupational Activities ◽

Minute Interval ◽

Exposure Levels ◽

The Mean ◽

Few Data

Although a number of studies have measured noise levels associated with infrequent, high-intensity non-occupational activities, few data are available on noise levels associated with routine, daily activities. In the current study, 31 construction workers wore datalogging noise dosimeters and simultaneously completed activity logs. These noise and activity data were combined to estimate the exposure levels associated with routine non-occupational activities. Only a small fraction of 128,466 one-minute interval Leq noise levels exceeded 80 dBA, and the majority of one-minute levels were below 70 dBA. The primary contributor to non-occupational noise exposure was travelling in a car or bus, and time at home was associated with the lowest exposure. Twenty-four hour Leq levels (Leq(24)) were also computed for workdays and non-workdays. The percentage of 89 Leq(24) levels above 80 dBA was higher for workdays than for non-workdays, and the mean Leq(24) level for workdays was significantly different from non-workdays. These findings indicate that occupational exposures among construction workers contribute far more to their total exposure than does the noise from their routine non-occupational activities.

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Evaluating noise exposure levels of laboratories in civil engineering education

Noise Control Engineering Journal ◽

10.3397/1/37677 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 69-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ã-. AkboÄŸa Kale ◽

Ä°. Bayram ◽

S. Baradan

Keyword(s):

Engineering Education ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Civil Engineering ◽

Exposure Levels

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Hazards for Construction Workers

10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0036 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Gavin H. West ◽

Laura S. Welch

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Engineered Nanomaterials ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

This chapter describes the hazards for construction workers, with a particular focus on injuries as well as exposures to hazardous chemicals and dusts. A section describes hazardous exposures to lead and other heavy metals. Another section describes noise exposure. The impact of musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers is then discussed. A section on respiratory diseases focuses on asbestosis, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. Exposures known to cause dermatitis and cancer are reviewed. There is a discussion of engineered nanomaterials as a potential emerging hazard. Various approaches to prevention and control, including regulations and health services, are described.

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Indoor exposure levels of ammonia in residences, schools, and offices in China from 1980 to 2019: A systematic review

Indoor Air ◽

10.1111/ina.12864 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chanjuan Sun ◽

Shijie Hong ◽

Guangkai Cai ◽

Yinping Zhang ◽

Haidong Kan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Indoor Exposure ◽

Exposure Levels

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Assessing Reasonable Worst-Case Full-Shift Exposure Levels from Data of Variable Quality

Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene ◽

10.1080/104732201460352 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 210-217

Author(s):

Hans Marquart ◽

Hinkelien Van Drooge ◽

Monique Groenewold ◽

Joop Van Hemmen

Keyword(s):

Worst Case ◽

Full Shift ◽

Exposure Levels ◽

Variable Quality

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Evaluation of Exposure Assessment Tools under REACH: Part II—Higher Tier Tools

Annals of Work Exposures and Health ◽

10.1093/annweh/wxy098 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 230-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Eun Gyung Lee ◽

Judith Lamb ◽

Nenad Savic ◽

Ioannis Basinas ◽

Bojan Gasic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Exposure Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Worst Case ◽

Local Exhaust Ventilation ◽

Limit Value ◽

Exposure Category ◽

Input Parameters ◽

Full Shift ◽

Exposure Levels ◽

Exposure Measurements

Abstract Stoffenmanager®v4.5 and Advanced REACH Tool (ART) v1.5, two higher tier exposure assessment tools for use under REACH, were evaluated by determining accuracy and robustness. A total of 282 exposure measurements from 51 exposure situations (ESs) were collected and categorized by exposure category. In this study, only the results of liquids with vapor pressure (VP) > 10 Pa category having a sufficient number of exposure measurements (n = 251 with 42 ESs) were utilized. In addition, the results were presented by handling/activity description and input parameters for the same exposure category. It should be noted that the performance results of Stoffenmanager and ART in this study cannot be directly compared for some ESs because ART allows a combination of up to four subtasks (and nonexposed periods) to be included, whereas the database for Stoffenmanager, separately developed under the permission of the legal owner of Stoffenmanager, permits the use of only one task to predict exposure estimates. Thus, it would be most appropriate to compare full-shift measurements against ART predictions (full shift including nonexposed periods) and task-based measurements against task-based Stoffenmanager predictions. For liquids with VP > 10 Pa category, Stoffenmanager®v4.5 appeared to be reasonably accurate and robust when predicting exposures [percentage of measurements exceeding the tool’s 90th percentile estimate (%M > T) was 15%]. Areas that could potentially be improved include ESs involving the task of handling of liquids on large surfaces or large work pieces, allocation of high and medium VP inputs, and absence of local exhaust ventilation input. Although the ART’s median predictions appeared to be reasonably accurate for liquids with VP > 10 Pa, the %M > T for the 90th percentile estimates was 41%, indicating that variance in exposure levels is underestimated by ART. The %M > T using the estimates of the upper value of 90% confidence interval (CI) of the 90th percentile estimate (UCI90) was considerably reduced to 18% for liquids with VP > 10 Pa. On the basis of this observation, users might be to consider using the upper limit value of 90% CI of the 90th percentile estimate for predicting reasonable worst case situations. Nevertheless, for some activities and input parameters, ART still shows areas to be improved. Hence, it is suggested that ART developers review the assumptions in relation to exposure variability within the tool, toward improving the tool performance in estimating percentile exposure levels. In addition, for both tools, only some handling/activity descriptions and input parameters were considered. Thus, further validation studies are still necessary.

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