Abstract:

At the NASA Lewis Research Center, more than 1100 civil servant and contractor employees are included in a hearing conservation program that incorporates the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard on occupational noise exposure, as well as NASA's policy, which prohibits unprotected exposure to A-weighted noise levels above 85 dB. In many work areas, multiple, complex, or distributed noise sources require emphasis on hearing protection and personnel enclosures as the primary means of noise exposure management. Gradual, yet cost-effective, reductions in area noise levels are expected over time as equipment is replaced by selecting low-noise equipment whenever possible. To achieve maximum results from each equipment purchase, a ``Guide to Specifying Equipment Noise Emission Levels'' assists engineers and designers with identifying appropriate equipment noise emission requirements and incorporating those requirements into comprehensive specifications. The guide covers noise emission from a broad variety of fixed and portable equipment expected to produce A-weighted noise levels approaching 80 dB and higher. Developed to support hearing conservation program goals, the guide also addresses relevant community noise and speech communication issues. [See NOISE-Con Proceedings for full paper.]