Personal noise exposure assessment of Kuwaiti printing industry workers. Issue 2 (3rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alabdulhadi, Abdullah; Devey, Peter; Boggess, May; Guest, Maya
• Is Part Of: International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics. Volume 27:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 578
• Page End: 588
• Publication Date: 2021-04-03
• Subjects: personal noise dosimetry -- occupational noise exposure recommendations -- printing industry; Human engineering -- Periodicals; Industrial safety -- Periodicals; Human Engineering -- Periodicals; Occupational Health -- Periodicals; Ergonomie -- Périodiques; Sécurité du travail -- Périodiques; Human engineering; Industrial safety; Periodicals; 620.8
• DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2019.1677327
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1080-3548

Abstract

Abstract : Recent technological improvements in the printing industry may have altered noise exposures in printeries. Of the eight printery noise assessments published since 2000, none assessed the exposure of workers using computer-to-plate machines and only two used personal noise dosimetry. This method measures noise levels as the worker moves about and permits examination of the impulsiveness of noise levels. In this study, 104 workers wore personal noise dosimeters for one full shift. Computer-to-plate operators experienced noise exposures of 75 dB( A ) on average and were rarely exposed to noise levels greater than 85 dB( A ). Noise exposure in excess of 85 dB( A ) was still common among offset printer operators. In fact, all workers operating web-fed offset machines spent more than half the shift experiencing noise levels greater than 85 dB( A ). We found that the 5-min rolling SD of noise levels accurately reflected the impulsivity observed in the noise level profile.