Three workers (8-hour work shift) were monitored for work in different areas of a facility using calibrated noise dosimeters. The results are summarized in the following table.
Time for Monitoring Worker 1 Worker 2 Worker 3
3 hours 80.5 dBA 98.5 dBA 92.5 dBA
2 hours 81.0 dBA 86.5 dBA 85.0 dBA
2 hours 82.0 dBA 84.5 dBA 83.5 dBA
1 hour 95.0 dBA 83.5 dBA 80.0 dBA
a. Calculate the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) noise exposure for each of the three workers.
b. Summarize which (one) of the exposures exceeds OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) and/or action level for noise.
c. Discuss what factors about the noise monitoring may have affected the accuracy of the noise measurements.
Show your work for all mathematical calculations. Please refer to Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.95 for assistance on how-to solve this problem.
Sample Solution
