Noise emitted by industrial plants, installations and devices can have a negative impact on human health and the environment. That is why it is so important to ensure proper protection against it. This can be done e.g. by performing noise measurements, and thus monitoring whether the intensity of annoying sounds does not exceed the standards adopted by law. When is it worth taking noise measurements? What to remember?
Noise - definition and effects of exposure
The Environmental Protection Law in Art. 3 point 5, noise is considered to be sounds with a frequency of 16 Hz to 16000 Hz. Their sources may be of origin:
- communication (airports, tracks, roads),
- industrial (industrial plants, poultry farms)
- municipal (housing estates, shopping centers)
The adverse health effects of noise include:
- tiredness,
- absent-mindedness and malaise,
- nervous disorders,
- trouble resting
- risk of partial or even complete hearing loss,
- high blood pressure risk,
- disorders in the osteovascular system.
It is therefore not surprising that environmental regulations treat noise as pollution. What are the legal consequences of this? Well, all irregularities related to noise emission are subject to sanctions.
Protection against noise - acceptable standards and noise measurements
In order to protect people and the natural environment from annoying sounds, Polish law defines permissible noise levels in the environment, which vary depending on:
- time of day
- type of terrain
- type of source.
In order to determine whether the standards dictated by law are respected, noise measurements and analyzes are carried out. They allow not only to measure the emission (intensity) of sounds, but often also to determine the contribution of individual sources to the acoustic impact. They also have a preventive function. On their basis, it is possible to plan actions preventing the occurrence of exceedances of noise standards in the future in subsequent stages.
Periodic noise measurements for business activities are carried out when the following have been issued:
- decision on the permissible noise level,
- integrated permit, if the source of noise is a plant, installation or device.
Importantly, for noise measurements to be reliable, they must be performed using certified instrumentation and under specific conditions. Otherwise, their result may be undermined. That is why it is so important to entrust this task to specialists. They will not only perform the analysis reliably, but also advise what actions should be taken so that the permissible noise levels are not exceeded in the future.
As part of the services provided, professionals perform various measurements - not only of industrial noise, but also noise at the workplace or communication (e.g. for roads or railway lines), the sound level in rooms or the sound power level of machines. They also prepare acoustic analyzes of industrial plants.
Noise measurements - why is it worth doing?
Preventive noise measurements and analyzes allow us to check whether we do not exceed the currently applicable standards, which is the best way to avoid possible penalties. It also brings image benefits. A plant that cares about the health and well-being of people and the natural environment is perceived positively by both potential employees and customers.
What's more, safe and comfortable working conditions are most often reflected in the efficiency of staff. In a less noisy environment, employees simply work better, which will certainly translate into the company's financial result. Therefore, the importance of noise measurement and analysis should not be underestimated. Made by specialists will be a source of reliable data.
