Health Hazard Evaluation Program: Evaluation of Cutoff Saw Operators Noise Exposures at an Unleaded Brass Foundry [HHE- 2019-0208-3408]

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Evaluation of Cutoff Saw Operators Noise Exposures at an Unleaded Brass Foundry
• Personal Author:
  Brueck, Scott E. ; Zechmann, Edward L. ; Ehlers, Josie ; Speaks, Hannah
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Management from an unleaded brass foundry requested a health hazard evaluation to evaluate noise exposures and identify potential noise controls for the abrasive cutoff saws in the foundry. Management also requested an evaluation on how well employees' hearing protectors worked. During our visits, observed work processes, production practices, and conditions; measured full-shift personal noise exposures of cutoff saw operators; measured task or equipment related sound levels across noise frequencies in the cutoff area of the foundry; and conducted hearing protector fit-testing on cutoff saw operators. We found that cutoff saw operators' full-shift TWA noise exposures were well above occupational noise exposure limits. Saw operators' noise exposures were above 120 dBA for 5%-15% of their work shift. Noise generated during use of the abrasive cutoff saws was the primary contributor to saw operators' noise exposures. Quantitative hearing protector fit testing indicated that the hearing protectors for some of the saw operators did not provide enough noise attenuation. Strategies to reduce noise exposure and the risk of hearing loss include reducing saw blade noise, using partial saw enclosures and barriers, using job rotation, adopting buy quiet strategies, and ensuring hearing protection provides adequate noise attenuation.
• Subjects:
  Ear Engineering Hearing Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety Sense Organs
• Keywords:
  Earplug Engineering Control Hearing Protection Device HPD Noise Control Unleaded Brass Foundry
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Case Report
• Place as Subject:
  New Hampshire
• 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:
  28 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070995
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2025]. Evaluation of cutoff saw operators’ noise exposures at an unleaded brass foundry. By Brueck SE, Zechmann EL, Ehlers J, Speaks H. Cincinnati, OH: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2019-0208-3408, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2019-0208-3408.pdf.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  332911 - Industrial Valve Manufacturing - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9fed3bf8ceab78e3f8a8892c88f45b3897fdfea646cdb512da0cc19c762e68ba53c07bf456cc6cfbd26cd0cc195df73c490522f80bb6c54a57e6b0cadd636cfc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/232213/cdc_232213_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.03 MB ]