Noise Pollution and Control in Mines

NOISE POLLUTION & CONTROL
Presenter
Mr. Adolphus M. G. D. Gleekia
Master of Technology (M. Tech) in Mining Engineering
NIT Rourkela, India (2016)
Lecturer II /Mining Engineer (MLME)
Department of Mining Engineering
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf College of Engineering
University of Liberia (UL)
Fendall, Lousiana, Montserrado County
Republic of Liberia

 What is Noise Pollution?
In simple term, noise is an unwanted sound.
Sound is a form of energy emitted by vibrating body and on
reaching the ear causes sensation of hearing through nerves.
Types of environmental pollution
Water Pollution
Air pollution
Land Pollution
Noise Pollution (recognized by UNISCO quit recently)
• Has gotten little attention compare to the others.

Pollution
Any contamination of;
• Air
• Soil
• Water &
• Environment
Loud noise or sound is a part of pollution

Noise Pollution (environmental Pollution)
 A sound produce by
• Humans and Machines
• Disrupt
onatural environment & Society
When there is lot of noise in the environment, it is called
noise pollution.
Sound become undesirable when it disturbs the normal
activities such as
• Work, sleep, and conversation

Noise is an under rated environmental problem
Because we can’t;
 see, smell or taste it.
 it is not in the form of garbage
 so it is not visible to us.
 According to WHO, “Noise must be recognized as a
major threat to human well - being”.

 SOURCES OF NOISE
 Sources of noise are numerous but may be broadly
classified into two classes viz. :
 Industrial Noise
o may include noises from various industries operating
in cities,
o like transportation, vehicular movements - car, motor,
truck, train, tempo, motor cycle, aircrafts, rockets,
explosions etc.

 Non-Industrial Noise
 The important ones are:
o Loudspeaker
o Construction work
o Road Traffic
o Trains
o Aircrafts
o Agricultural Machines; Defence Equipment

Industrial sources of noise

Train: noise levels of 90 - 120 dB at a distance of about 100 feet; Airplane: 120 – 130 dB,
threshold of pain, (Airplane taking off at distance of about 165 ft) .
Industrial sources of noise

Non - industrial sources of noise

 EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION
 Noise exposure may cause two kinds of health effects. These
effects are non-auditory effects and auditory effects.
 Non-auditory include;
 stress,
 related physiological and behavioural effects,
 and safety concerns.

 Auditory effects include;
 hearing impairment resulting from excessive noise exposure.
 Noise-induced permanent hearing loss is the main concern
related to occupational noise exposure.
 Examples of auditory health effects
The main auditory effects include:
 Acoustic trauma: Sudden hearing damage caused by short burst
of extremely loud noise such as a gun shot.
 Tinnitus: Ringing or buzzing in the ear.

 Temporary hearing loss:
 Also known as temporary threshold shift (TTS) which occurs
immediately after exposure to a high level of noise.
 There is gradual recovery when the affected person spends
time in a quiet place. Complete recovery may take several
hours.
 Permanent hearing loss:
 Permanent hearing loss, also known as permanent threshold
shift (PTS), progresses constantly as noise exposure continues
month after month and year after year.

 Hearing impairment is noticeable only when it is substantial
enough to interfere with routine activities.
 At this stage, a permanent and irreversible hearing damage has
occurred. Noise-induced hearing damage cannot be cured by
medical treatment and worsens as noise exposure continues.
 When noise exposure stops, the person does not regain his/her
lost hearing sensitivity.
 As the employee ages, hearing may worsen as "age-related
hearing loss" adds to the existing noise-induced hearing loss.
 EFFECT OF NOISE POLLUTION

 Types of Hearing Loss
 Hearing loss is categorized by the part of the auditory
system is affected.
 The four basic types of hearing loss are;
 conductive hearing loss,
 sensorineural hearing loss,
 mixed hearing loss and
 central auditory processing disorders.

 Conductive Hearing Loss
 occurs when sound does not move efficiently through the outer or
middle ear systems.
 The presence of a foreign bodies, impacted cerumen (ear wax) and
fluid in the middle ear from colds, allergies or ear infections can
all cause conductive hearing loss.
 Sensorineural Hearing Loss
 results from damage to the cochlea (inner ear) or to the auditory
nerve that runs from the cochlea to the brain. Certain diseases,
injuries, ototoxic drugs and genetic syndromes can cause
sensorineural hear loss.

 Mixed Hearing Loss
 damage to both the outer/middle ear systems and the inner ear
(auditory nerve);
 resulting in a combination of sensorineural and conductive
hearing loss.
 Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD)
 when the parts of the brain that interpret sound are affected by
injury, disease, tumor or other unknown causes.

 NOISE MEASUREMENT
Noise Measuring Equipment for Workplace Noise Assessments
 Sound level meters,
 noise meters,
 noise dosemeters
 Normally, workplace noise assessments and comply with
Noise at Work regulations.

 A sound level meter is a device that allows
you to determine the acoustic intensity and
to measure the sound pressure level, but does
not necessarily determine levels of sound in
relation to tolerance of the human ear.
 All Pulsar Instruments’ sound level meters
are suitable for professional application,
including measurement of sound at work
and environmental sound measurement.

 The noise dosimeter also known as the doseBadge, is a
small, lightweight, cable-free, that can be worn on the
shoulder for minimal inconvenience.
 work by storing sound level measurements to provide an
average noise exposure reading for a specified period,
such as an eight hours workday. The data can be read via
a special dosebadge reader or simply transferred to a PC
for analysis.
 ensure compliance with the Control of Noise at Work
Regulations, Industrial Hygiene Standards and
Occupational Noise Exposure Guidelines.
 It also provides an effective way to monitor and record
long-term personal noise exposure.

Mumbai is the noisiest city in the world and traffic is a continuous source of noise. An auto
rickshaw in Mumbai measures 82.6 dB during this recording by (Awaaz Foundation, 2003)

 The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, have
set the standards for noise levels in various areas in our India.
Day Time: 6 am - 10 pm; Night Time: 10 pm – 6 am.
Silence zone; an area comprising not less than 100 m around hospitals,
educational institutions and courts.

 Noise pollution cannot be ignored. According to World Health
Organisation, noise pollution has the following effects on human
beings:
 interferences with social behavior (aggressiveness, protest and
helplessness)
 interference with speech communication
 affects performance at work/school
 pain and hearing fatigue
 hearing impairment including
 tinnitus
 annoyance
 sleep disturbance
 and other consequences on a long and short term basis
o cardiovascular effects
o hormonal responses (stress hormones) and
o possible consequences on human metabolism and immune system.

 NOISE CONTROL
 Noise control measures are required to be implemented according
to the hierarchy of control so far as reasonably practicable.
 Design: designers should design the plant to eliminate or control
noise emissions where there is a risk to a person's hearing.
 Engineering controls for existing plant and workplaces
 using conveyor belts rather than rollers
 stiffening and fixing damping materials to panels and other
surfaces to reduce vibration and noise impact of items during
processing

 reducing noisy machine operations by replacing rivets with welds
 redesigning machinery power sources to give quiet speed regulation,
 avoiding metal-to-metal contact by using plastic bumpers
 repairing loose and rotating parts, replacing worn bearings and
gears and regular maintenance
 adding noise barriers, noise enclosures, vibration isolation
mountings, laggings, mufflers and silencers where appropriate to
reduce noise at source
 absorbing acoustic shock by providing wear-resistant rubber or
plastic coatings
 NOISE CONTROL

 NOISE CONTROL
 using a sound-reducing enclosure that fully encloses the machine(s)
 separating the noisy area and area to be quietened by a sound-
reducing partition
 using sound-absorbing material on floors, ceiling and/or walls to
reduce the sound level due to reverberation
 using sound-absorbing baffles between workers and the noise
source;
 using acoustical silencers in intake and exhaust systems, ex.
internal combustion exhaust systems or air conditioning systems.

 Administrative controls
 Administrative controls should be used when engineering noise
control measures flop:
 organising schedules for noisy work at particular part of the shift or when
as few people as possible are present,
 notifying people in advance when noisy work is to be done to limit their
exposure,
 keeping people out of noisy areas if their job does not require them to be,
 sign-posting noisy areas and providing quiet areas for food and rest breaks,
 limiting workers’ time spend in noisy areas by moving them to quiet work
places before their daily noise exposure levels are exceeded.

 Personal hearing protectors
 Administrative controls
 maintaining machines and equipment in good condition to reduce
noise, including the addition of noise mufflers, vibration isolators, or
duct silencers
 job rotation (changing tasks carried out by workers to prevent
exposure to excessive noise)
 purchasing new plant and equipment that produce less noise.
 A personal hearing protector can be worn to cover the ear and ear canal
entrance, or inserted in the ears of a person to protect their hearing.
 Personal hearing protectors should be used when noise levels cannot be
reduced by other control measures

 Personal hearing protectors
 Staff at workplaces should be:
 supplied with personal hearing protectors of correct rating
and suitable for the work conditions
 instructed in their correct uses
 instructed to wear required PPEs when exposed to noise at
higher dB Levels.
 monitored to ensure they wear hearing protection.

 NOISE CONTROL
KB803 Noise Control BafflesNoise Level Measurement

 NOISE CONTROL
Spatial audioEnclosure of plant

 NOISE CONTROL

 NOISE CONTROL
Hearing Protectors

 AUDIOMETIC TESTING
 An audiometry exam tests your ability to hear sounds. Sounds
vary based on their loudness (intensity) and the speed of sound
wave vibrations (tone).
 Hearing occurs when sound waves stimulates the nerves of the
inner ear.
 Eventually the sound travels along nerve pathways to the brain.
 Sound waves can travel to the inner ear through the ear canal,
eardrum, and bones of the middle ear (air conduction),
 or through the bones around and behind the ear (bone
conduction).

 The Intensity of sound is measured in decibels (dB):
 A whisper is about 20 dB
 Loud music (some concerts) is around 80 - 120 dB
 A jet engine is about 140 - 180 dB
 AUDIOMETIC TESTING

CONCLUSION
 Noise pollution & control should be given urgent attention owing to
it’s impacts on the health and well being of many people around the
world.
 Hearing loss is one of the most pervasive occupational health
problems in many countries today. For example, there are about 10
million people in the UK with permanent hearing loss, representing a
significant burden of disease.
 Age-related hearing loss affects over 42 percent of people aged over
50. It affects their personal, social and working lives.

 Thus, successful hearing loss prevention program benefits both the company and
the affected employee. Ultimately, the company benefits from reduced medical
expenses and worker compensation costs. In some cases there may be improved
morale and work efficiency.
 Hearing loss is a poorly recognised sensory impairment that can cause
barriers to everyday interpersonal communication, which can reduce
quality of life.
 Fortunately, noise-induced hearing loss can be reduced, or often
eliminated, through the successful application of occupational hearing loss
prevention programs.
CONCLUSION

Noise Pollution and Control in Mines

Noise Pollution and Control in Mines

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