Decibel Levels Measurement Quiz

Lone working workers face unique risks due to lack of assistance and difficult communication with colleagues.

Safe System of Work for Lone Working: No lone working for high-risk activities, remote supervision, logging workers’ locations, mobile phones or radios, lone worker alarm systems, procedures, and emergency procedures.

Risks relating to vehicle movements: loss of control, overturning, collisions.

Factors causing forklift truck overturning: cornering too fast, uneven loading, driving over potholes, driving with load elevated, uneven tyre pressures, and driving across a slope.

Risk factors increasing the risk of collisions: driving too fast, inadequate lighting, reversing without a banksman, bad weather conditions, obstructed visibility, and poor design of pedestrian walkways and crossing points.

Non-movement-related hazards: loading, overloading, unloading, securing, and coupling.

Workplace Transport Control Measures: eliminating hazards, creating safe places and people, conducting risk assessments, and implementing controls.

Workplace Environment: vehicle-free zones, pedestrian-free zones, traffic route layout, segregation, marked walkways and crossings, separate access points, speed limits, managed vehicle movements, good visibility, signage, and well-lit, maintained roads/pathways.

Control measures to reduce risk of accidents from reversing vehicles: avoiding reversing, high-visibility clothing, segregating pedestrians and vehicles, good lighting, banksmen, and reversing alarms and beacons.

Risk assessment factors: identifying the hazards, the groups at risk, evaluating the risk, recording and implementing, and reviewing.

Evaluating the risks: eliminating the need to travel, traveling by a safer means, ensuring driver competency, considering the condition and safety equipment of the vehicle, and planning the journey.

Effects of exposure to noise: temporary (reduction in hearing, temporary tinnitus, stress, and concentration problems) and permanent (inability to hear vehicles, psychological effects) impacts on various industries and workers.

Important terminology: sound pressure (number of pressure waves per second, air pressure of sound waves), A-weighting (expressed in decibels and corrected to match human hearing sensitivity), C-weighting (subjective assessment of sound pressure 'loudness' corrected for impulse noise), and frequency (noise).

Decibel Levels Measured in dB(A): 0 (faintest audible sounds), 20-30 (quiet library), 50-60 (conversation), 65-75 (loud radio), 90-100 (power drill), 140 (jet aircraft taking off 25m away)

Noise Exposure Standards: Two factors determining harm - Noise level and Duration of exposure. Assessments measure noise levels and durations to estimate workers' personal exposure. Compare personal exposure to legal standards.

Personal Noise Exposure: Daily personal noise exposure (LEP,d) and peak sound pressure for impulse noise are measured.

Noise Exposure Standards: Different countries have their standards (UK follows EU directive). Lower Exposure Action Values: 80 dB(A) LEP,d and 135 dB(C) peak for impulse noise. Upper Exposure Action Values: 85 dB(A) LEP,d and 137 dB(C) peak. Exposure Limit Values: 87 dB(A) LEP,d and 140 dB(C) peak.

Actions Triggered by Exposure Levels:

Lower Exposure Action Value: Carry out assessment, provide info, instruction, training, and hearing protection.

Upper Exposure Action Value: Reduce exposure by engineering means, create a hearing protection zone, provide protection, and enforce use. Offer health surveillance.

Exposure Limit Value: Immediately stop exposure and reduce below the limit.

Noise Levels in a Machine Shop and Woodworking Area: 83 dB(A) and 90 dB(A) respectively. Consider carrying out noise assessments, reducing noise with engineering controls, providing hearing protection, and enforcing use.

Basic Noise Control Measures:

Reduce noise at source: Eliminate, substitute, modify the process, maintenance, and damping.

Protect the receiver: Acoustic haven, hearing protection, and PPE.

Hearing Protection: Ear defenders (muffs) and earplugs have different advantages and limitations.

Health Effects of Exposure to Vibration:

Hand-Arm Vibration: Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), vibration white finger (blanching), nerve damage, muscle weakening, and joint damage.

Whole-Body Vibration: Back pain, common among drivers.

Assessment of Vibration Exposure:

Determined by vibration magnitude and duration of exposure.

Compared to legal standards, called 'eight-hour energy equivalent vibration magnitude' or 'A(8)'.

Vibration Exposure Standards: Daily exposure action value and limit value for hand-arm vibration and whole-body vibration.

Actions Triggered by Vibration Exposure Levels:

At or above the daily exposure action value: Conduct a vibration risk assessment, reduce exposure, and provide training and health surveillance.

At or above the daily exposure limit value: Immediately prevent exposure and reduce below the limit.

Types of Radiation: Non-ionising (UV and visible light) and Ionising (X-rays).

Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation: High-frequency, electromagnetic radiation emitted by white-hot materials.

Visible Light: Electromagnetic radiation between the UV and IR frequencies and visible to the human eye.

Infrared (IR) and microwaves are types of lower-frequency electromagnetic radiation. IR is emitted by red-hot materials like molten metal, and microwaves are emitted by a microwave generator.

Radiowaves are another type of lower-frequency electromagnetic radiation, emitted by radio, TV, radar, and other sources.

UV light, a higher-frequency electromagnetic radiation, comes from the sun and can cause skin burns, arc eye (photokeratitis), skin cancer, among other health effects.

Protection from sunburn includes covering exposed skin and protecting the eyes.

Ionising radiation, a higher-energy form of radiation, includes alpha, beta, X-rays, gamma-rays, and neutrons. Exposure to ionising radiation can lead to acute health effects like radiation sickness and diarrhoea, hair loss, anaemia, and chronic health effects like cancer, genetic mutations, and birth defects.

Basic means of controlling exposure to ionising radiation include minimizing exposure, increasing distance, and using shielding.

Ionising radiation regulations set dose limits for exposure to the general public and workers.

Eliminating exposure, reducing exposure to the lowest level reasonably practicable, not exceeding relevant radiation dose limits, and implementing training and health surveillance are basic radiation protection strategies.

A fire is a chemical process in which oxygen combines with fuel in the presence of heat. Principles of fire include direct burning, convection, conduction, and radiation.

Common causes of fire in the workplace include electrical equipment, deliberate ignition, hot work, smoking, cooking appliances, and heating appliances.

Control measures to minimize the risk of fire in a workplace include controlling combustible and flammable materials, controlling ignition sources, using electrical equipment in flammable atmospheres, practicing good housekeeping, and ensuring a permit to work for hot work.

Flammable liquids like acetone and petrol should be stored in a cool, well-ventilated area, away from ignition sources, and in properly labelled and secured containers.

Common building materials like concrete, steel, brick, and timber have varying fire performance, with concrete and steel being more resistant and timber being more susceptible to high temperatures. Surface treatments like encasing steel in concrete, intumescent paint, insulation, and wall coverings can improve fire performance.