Sound can be found everywhere, all around us. Whether you’re at home, in the streets or at work, you can hear sounds in different forms. However, when the sound becomes too loud or irritating to bear, it becomes noise.
Long term or frequent exposure to noise is not good for the health. Aside from causing stress, it also causes hearing issues in the long run. It is important to control noise in areas where there are people staying to protect their hearing and maintain their peace of mind.
There are many places where noise can be an issue and needs to be controlled. A sound level meter is used to measure sound in a certain area to determine whether it is still at normal level or can be considered noise already. Here are some of those common places where sound level monitoring is important for everyone’s safety and well-being.
Construction Sites
Construction sites are considered one of the noisiest areas that need proper sound monitoring. There are plenty of heavy equipment that produce loud sounds such as testing equipment and pneumatic drills. When workers are exposed to this noise in long term, it could cause hearing impairment and damage to the ears. This is the reason why operators of these equipment should always wear soundproof ear protectors to keep their hearing safe.
Cinemas, Concert Halls and Music Studios
The sound levels in these areas need to be monitored well to ensure the hearing safety of listeners. Concert halls and music studios are designed to amplify sound to cover more distance. When the sound is too loud, it can cause hearing damage to the listeners. Proper sound monitoring should be done to ensure that the loudness of the sound is just at the right level – everyone can hear but is not too loud that could damage the ears.
Factories
Many factories are noisy because of the type of equipment used there. Although it might not be on a daily basis, sound level monitoring should be done during those noisy periods especially when there are workers around. This is to determine whether the sound is too loud and damaging that the workers need to wear safety equipment or not.
Schools
Although schools are not that noisy compared to construction sites or music festivals, monitoring the sound level in this environment is also crucial to keep the students’ performance at optimum level. Noisy environments have a huge impact on a student’s learning processes and could even impair one’s concentration and academic performance.
The recommended noise limit for schools is up to 85 decibels, in which any noise that exceeds it already has an impact on a student’s performance. It is also important to monitor noise levels during exam periods to maintain a conducive test condition.
It may not be that apparent but sound level monitoring is a part of our daily lives. We may not be the one who monitors it most of the time but someone does it to keep our ears and hearing safe.
