ASA 128th Meeting - Austin, Texas - 1994 Nov 28 .. Dec 02

3aNS4. The impact of using a 3-dB vs 5-dB exchange rate on the predicted employee's 8-h equivalent A-weighted sound-pressure level in three different types of industrial work environments.

Larry H. Royster

MAE Dept., NC State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695-7910

Julia Doswell Royster

Environmental Noise Consultants, Inc., Raleigh, NC 27622-0698

A noise exposure database was previously collected using a 5-dB exchange rate for three different types of industrial work environments: paper manufacturing, aluminum casting and rolling, and meat packaging. This database will be reanalyzed to estimate the impact on the percentage of additional employees that would have to be included in each company's hearing conservation program if a 3-dB exchange rate replaces the present OSHA 5-dB exchange rate. In addition, the effect of using different combinations of criterion and action levels in conjunction with the use of a 3-dB exchange rate will be discussed.