Assessment of Noise Levels and Implementation of Control Measures to Reduce Employee Exposures in an Industrial Setting

Abstract

Employees in the Muskie Proppant LLC industrial sand manufacturing plant are potentially exposed to noise levels that exceed MSHA’s permissible exposure limit. The primary source of plant noise was determined to originate from the centrifugal fan associated with a Starkaire dryer. Exposure to occupational noise can cause a number of diseases or negative health effects in industrial workers. The most common of these diseases, occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), not only presents a problem for employees, but also represents potential losses for employers. Numerous engineering control options are available that can be implemented in an industrial setting to reduce noise associated with a centrifugal fan. In order to properly assess the effectiveness of an installed engineering control, appropriate monitoring equipment must be utilized and methods employed to obtain sound pressure level data. The engineering control option implemented in Muskie’s plant involved extending the centrifugal fan’s intake blower duct to the outside of the building. Post-engineering control data confirmed that sound pressure levels in the plant were reduced; however, employees continue to be at risk of developing NIHL because the noise reductions were insufficient relative to personal exposures. As a result, additional engineering control options should be investigated and selected.