Q: I've noticed most ear plugs, including ones I'm considering, are rated at dB32. What is a typical and safe dB level for the human ear? When would I need to use earplugs with a dB32 rating?
A: Noise levels above 70 dB over extended periods can start to damage hearing. Extremely loud noises, surpassing 120 dB, can cause immediate damage. The dB32 rating of earplugs indicates the amount of noise reduction they provide. For specific applications of your earplugs or hearing protection, it's best to consult with the manufacturer directly. It's worth noting that OSHA mandates employers to initiate a hearing conservation program when noise exposure reaches or exceeds 85 decibels averaged over an 8-hour workday, known as the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).
Making sure your environment is SAFE and SOUND!
We live and work in everyday environments where the environmental conditions can range from being somewhat of an “annoyance” to the degree of becoming potentially “hazardous” or “unsafe”. If these conditions are not just right and we are exposed to them for a prolonged amount of time, it could be detrimental to our overall health and safety. It could also have serious effects on a process and the outcome we are trying to achieve. In 1996, the National Safety Council (NSC) established June as National Safety Month in the United States. The goal of Summer Safety Month is to increase public awareness of the leading safety and health risks, to decrease the number of injuries and deaths at homes and workplaces.
How can we check our environments to make sure they are safe? What are the things that should be checked to ensure safety? Triplett offers many types of environmental meters that measure and display accurate readings for such conditions. Used as much indoors as they are outdoors, these meters are very important in industrial processes, warehouses, HVAC, building and home Inspection, construction for OSHA compliance, manufacturing, labs, athletics, night clubs for sound and light, with facilities personnel, and of course in the private sector as an average homeowner, to determine interior and exterior climate and humidity.
The Triplett EM400 8-IN-1 ENVIRONMENTAL METER WITH SOUND is the “Swiss Army Knife” of meters and saves room in your toolbox - this one meter can do it all! It measures Air Temperature, Humidity, Type K Temperature, Wet Bulb, Dew Point, Heat Index, Sound, and Light. Readings are displayed on the dual backlit LCD that automatically reverses when taking Light measurements. Concise and compact button arrangement offers easy one-hand operation. Sound level readings meet IEC 61672-2013 class 2 sound level accuracy (±1dB@1kHz) and the high precision humidity sensor has a fast response time. Temperature readings are °F/°C switchable. Min/Max records highest and lowest readings. Data Hold freezes the reading on the display. Auto power off with disable conserves battery life. The built-in tripod mount can be used to free-up your hands when taking measurements over an extended period of time. Includes Type K Temperature bead probe, windscreen, (3) AAA batteries and wrist strap.
Let’s take a look at a few scenarios where the EM400 can help you ensure that the safe and proper environmental conditions exist, and keep you informed of when proper protective measures must be taken to avoid risk of injury:
Sound – When working in construction or visiting venues such night clubs and concerts where the dB (decibel) levels are constantly loud you may want to consider some sort of ear protection such as protective ear muffs or ear plugs in order to prevent permanent hearing loss.
Light – This can be a concern when the levels are too low and you cannot see. Obviously, if you can’t see what you are doing well, it can lead to safety accidents. Well, lit areas are a must and even in places such as parking, ATM’s, and stairwells they are required to have a proper level of lighting for safety/security precautions as well. Knowing the level of light during the install process will help the designer or facility personnel ensure the proper light levels in FC/Lux (Foot candles/Lux), thus reducing the risk of injury.
Heat Index, Dew Point, Wet Bulb, Humidity and Air, as well as External Probe Temp – All these factors come into play when planning for conditions that may cause Heat Stress and Illness. Providing shade, breaks and hydration during a football or soccer practice, construction jobs, landscaping, roofing and other strenuous jobs will go a long way in preventing anything from minor injuries to heat stroke.
It is important to note that there are regulatory agencies that determine limits from “Good” to “Bad” regarding occupational safety. You would want to consult their websites for these numbers as they are updated from time to time. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), an agency that determines sound and light minimum safety requirements for workplaces, partnered with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association to put together this Heat Index Chart:
In conclusion, having the Triplett EM400 in your toolbox will allow for you to determine pretty much all of your environmental factors with one compact and easy to use tool. Providing you the peace of mind that you, your workers, athletes, students and family are safe and sound is priceless!