Evaluation of Noise Exposure From Equipment and Ventilation in a Clinical Laboratory

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brueck, Scott E. ; Hayden, Marie A.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  An employer representative from a state government laboratory requested a health hazard evaluation concerning employee noise exposure. The noise came from instruments and equipment in the newborn screening and microbiology laboratories and from the ventilation system in the molecular laboratories. During our site visit in June 2023, we observed work activities, lab equipment, and workplace conditions, and took sound level measurements at employees' work areas in the laboratory. The noise levels we measured were below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and NIOSH occupational noise exposure limits and are not considered to present a risk of hearing loss. However, the noise levels in the laboratory could be high enough to interfere with employee communication and speech recognition. We recommend strategies to reduce noise such as installing noise control barriers, providing antifatigue mats made with sound absorbing material near procedure tables, implementing a Buy Quiet program, and working with a ventilation consultant to reduce noise from air handling systems.
• Subjects:
  Ear Engineering Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety Sense Organs Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Biosafety Level 2 BSL 2 Buy Quiet Program Clinical Laboratories Engineering Controls Laboratory Workers Medical Facilities Medical Laboratories Noise Control Noise Exposure Occupational OSHA Region 5 Ventilation Equipment

  More +
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2023-0087-3401, 2024 Oct ; :1-26
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE202300873401
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  26 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Booher, Donald E. ; Hamilton, Cheryl ; Neal, Nellie ; Watts, Shawna
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070258
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2024]. Evaluation of noise exposure from equipment and ventilation in a clinical ; laboratory. By Hayden MA, Brueck SE. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human ; Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety ; and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2023-0087-3401,
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  621511 - Medical Laboratories - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7f908149c83eaf0b68b96b786222587a40074df21b1f14d5ec01391d7b58ec2ce9472b7e1c25be9a621118df7a606a7802af7b3c440ee4e4894dd64f5be8de64
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172293/cdc_172293_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 779.67 KB ]