Reducing employee noise exposure in manufacturing: best practices, innovative techniques, and the workplace of the future

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Institute of Noise Control Engineering
• Description:
  This report contains summaries of the papers presented at a workshop hosted by the National Academy of Engineering in February 19-20, 2014. The title of the workshop was "Reducing Employee Noise Exposure in Manufacturing: Best Practices, Innovative Techniques, and the Workplace of the Future." Five major topics were addressed during the workshop: 1. Hearing Conservation Programs in Manufacturing Industries. 2. Best Practices: Noise Control in Manufacturing Industries. 3. Engineering for Noise Control in Manufacturing. 4. Innovative Techniques for Engineering Noise Control. 5. The Manufacturing Workplace of the Future. The papers in this report have, in some cases, been ordered differently than at the Workshop. The workshop agenda has been included as Appendix B of this report. Chapter 1 presents some general information on the scope and purpose of the workshop. In Chapter 2, the workshop co-chair, Lotz, first addressed the hearing conservation theme by presenting information on the programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in particular, the "Safe in Sound" award which is given to companies with outstanding hearing conservation programs. Then Downey, Mulhausen, and Westrum described specific programs which have been implemented in their respective companies. Chapter 3, the title Best Practices: Noise Control in Manufacturing Industries, was addressed by five speakers. For new facilities, a key element of planning is the computer modeling of the workplace and the noise level of the equipment to be installed. Probst shows how the CADNA(R) program can be used to model the workplace once the dimensions of the space, the sound absorptive properties of the surfaces, and the noise emissions of the equipment to be installed are known. He gives several examples of successful modeling. Because of the importance of this topic, a long version of the work is presented as Appendix A with a shorter version in the body of this report. The design of the equipment to go in the workplace is obviously an important factor for equipment manufacturers to consider. Herrin then presents information on the physics of low-noise product design. The next paper by Thompson includes information on the planning process used by NIOSH in the procurement of equipment in the mining industry where noise levels must be controlled. In the planning process, the user and the purchaser must know the noise emission levels of equipment to be installed, and emission standards facilitate the communications between buyer and seller. Murphy describes the key American National Standards for noise emissions. Finally, Maling describes "Buy Quiet" programs such as those developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and others. It is well accepted that the cost of noise control is lower during the machine design process than the cost of add-on solutions at the end of the design stage, or especially after the equipment has been delivered and installed. So the question has been asked: "Why buy a noise problem?" The "best practices" theme continues in Chapter 4 with a series of papers on "Engineering for Noise Control in Manufacturing." This has some overlap with the next chapter, Chaper 5, on "Innovative Techniques for Engineering Noise Control" because the engineering solutions described here may very well have been innovative at the time they were implemented. Chapter 4 contains an overview paper by Bruce on what progress has (and has not) been made in the reduction of noise in America's manufacturing sector, and is followed by a series of papers devoted to specific engineering solutions for several sources. Wood discusses noise control for a manufacturing environment containing many sources. Stewart has two papers, the first devoted to a history of noise control in the textile, tobacco, and woodworking industries, and the second devoted to noise control of a shredding machine. Bruek discusses noise control at a metal conduit manufacturer, and Roberto and Tam cover several sources, including injector drills and vibratory feeders in a manufacturing plant. "Innovative Techniques for Engineering Noise Control" is the title of Chapter 5. Lucas describes advanced aeroacoustic modeling techniques for the design of compressors, especially finite element techniques where the mesh "goes with the flow." He continues with new techniques for pneumatic tools. Anderson has long experience in the automotive industry and describes manufacturing techniques in that industry. Barnes describes how a shift in process, from reciprocating equipment to rotary equipment, can lower noise levels. More describes techniques for the reduction of noise from power generator sets. Finally, Taylor describes an innovative method for removing rivets from airplanes using an electro-discharge machining method. The project is called FRITA (Fastener Removal Improvement Technology Adoption), and is said to result in a safer removal process with lower noise levels. In the final paper, Barnes describes a change from reciprocating to rotary equipment in a candy plant. In Chapter 6, the authors give us a vision of the manufacturing workplace of the future. This topic was added to the workshop agenda because the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) initiated a broad study of future manufacturing and the organizing committee felt that a glimpse of the future might give some direction to noise control engineering measures which might be needed in the future. Whitefoot presented an overview of the NAE program, Lilley gave a view from the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and Taylor gave her vision as seen by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). In the final paper, Barnes describes what happens when sales and engineering personnel are on the factory floor. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Engineering Hearing Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety Software
• Keywords:
  Computer Models Engineering Controls Hearing Conservation Manufacturing Noise Control Noise Levels
• ISBN:
  9780989943123
• Publisher:
  Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Illinois ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-133
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048365
• Citation:
  Maling GC Jr., Wood EW, Lotz G, Lang WW, eds. Springfield, IL: Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA, 2016 Jul; :1-133
• Editor(s):
  Maling GC Jr.; Wood EW; Lotz G; Lang WW
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Reducing employee noise exposure in manufacturing: best practices, innovative techniques, and the workplace of the future
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1780d499c6d56390cb9fe847abafa475ed83aea2aa55983396c7fda565e437f1745022c6e1d8f906744a9574d3889e7d06e4a8465e59584a23a7ac8c4e609ed5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203132/cdc_203132_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.99 MB ]