Noise reduction methods can be divided into administrative, legal and technical methods.

Administrative and legal methods include all legal regulations, i.e. resolutions of the Council of Ministers, sejm laws, regulations and other technical regulations and standards, aimed at reducing the risk ofnoise.   Administrative and legal methods also include actions such as:

• taking breaks and reducing working time in noisy workplaces,
• the use of medical prophylaxis, including medical examinations including hearing checks on all newly admitted workers and periodic check-up of all workers exposed to noise exceeding the limit values,
• the transfer of noise-sensitive workers and those with medical conditions, in particular hearing impairments, to work in less onerous conditions.

The methods and technical measures for reducing noise are:

• reducing and minimizing noise emissions from the source,
• reducing noise transmission, i.e. reducing wibroacustic energy on the roads of transmission,
• reducing e missions(i.e. the impact) of noise on specific areas of production halls and on workstations,
• active noise reduction by compensating for noise with a signal generated by additional sources.

Reducing noise emissions at source can be achieved by:

– selection and use of low noise process, examples: replacement of forging process with rolling or extrusion, replacement of riveting process with twisting, use of chemical instead of mechanical treatment, etc.),

– the selection and use of machines (both types and units) with low noise emissions, machinery and equipment used in workplaces should be marked with a CE mark. In accordance with the applicable regulations, machinery and equipment manufacturers are required to provide in the technical documentation of the machinery the sound pressure level of noise emission and/or sound power level (tests confirmed by the notified body to the extent appropriate). On the basis of this data, the employer can choose a quieter machine,

– a change in the operating conditions of the machinery,

– upgrading or replacing machine components, for example: the use of other types of nozzles in compressed air equipment, the use of quiet lying bearings, the laying of the internal surfaces of enclosures with sound-absorbing material, the use of perforated sheet instead of full on housings that can vibrate, stiffening of the machine structure, avoiding sudden changes in the cross-section or direction of the stream in pipelines and ventilation systems,

– proper maintenance of the machine, example: replacement of worn parts, proper lubrication, balancing of parts.

Noise reduction at source should, where possible, be applied at the design stage, as its subsequent introduction may compromise the requirements of the implementation process and require significant financial resources.

It is possible to reduce noise by transmits it by:

• application of collective protections, i.e.:

– noise-limiting devices

– sound-absorbing materials

– measures limiting the transmission of air and material sound

•  the application of organizational measures consisting in:

– adequate positioning of noise sources relative to each other and to the walls of the room – it is recommended that the distance between the machines be not less than 2-3 m; the machines should be as far away from the walls and other reflecting surfaces as possible,

– separation of areas where low noise works are carried out from areas where high noise emission works are carried out – for example: conceptual work rooms, laboratories and offices should be separated from buildings and premises where noise-causing production processes take place.

Reducing the noise emissions is possible by:

• application of appropriate technical solutions – example: the use of remote control and automation at workplaces,
• organizational arrangements, m.in to:

– the departure of man from noisy processes,

– grouping of sound sources according to the sound pressure level of the sound emitted, by grouping the noise sources in different rooms, workers operating a quieter device (located in one room) are not exposed to noise coming from louder devices (located in another room),

• individual hearing protection.

Source: https://mindly.pl/halas,ac230/metody-ograniczania-zagrozenia-halasem-w-srodowisku-pracy,3864

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.