Re: decibels during practice


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Posted by Gus Pratt on February 25, 2002 at 21:24:09:

In Reply to: decibels during practice posted by Sean Chisham on February 25, 2002 at 20:48:33:


When I was in the Air Force in the late 80s I was an Bioenvironmental Engineering Specialist (Industrial Hygiene Technician in civilian language). One of our jobs was to go into the industrial shops and measure the noise levels. At that time the DOD standard for noise levels was 84 decibels time weughted average (TWA). What TWA meant was that the average of you exposure over 8 hours was to be below 84db. So you could be exposed higher then 84 db so long as you were exposed at a lower level the rest of the 8 hours. Decibel math is difficult but in a nutshell ever 6 decibels you increase is actual twice as loud. So if the exposure level standard is 84 for 8 hours, for 90 it would half that or 4 hours. For 96 decibels it would be 2 hours. The figure you got of having to wear hearing protection at 60 db is more then likely wrong, unless the standard has been lowered substantial. (note: 60db is only 1/16 as loud as 84 db). During the 80s the DOD policy was for exposure to industrial hazards was to be at one half the OSHA allowable level. At that time the legal OSHA limit was 90db TWA.




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