TABLE OF CONTENTS The environment may be degraded not only by chemical pollution but also by noise. Process plant contains a variety of noise sources covering rotating equipment, piping, combustion equipment and vents to atmosphere. Noise from process plant sources may affect workers from the perspective of noise induced hearing loss and the general public through environmental or community noise impacts. The control of noise from process plants needs to be controlled and noise control design needs to be an integral part of the engineering and planning for any process facility.
Accounts of noise, noise effects on humans and noise control are given in the following references:
Handbook of Noise Control by C.M. Harris (1957),
Handbook of Noise Measurement by A. Peterson and Gross (1967),
Noise and Vibration Control by Beranek (1971),
Noise and Hearing Conservation Manual by Berger et al. (1986 AIHA/11),
Engineering Noise Control by Bies and Hansen (1988),
Woods Practical Guide to Noise Control by Sharland (1990),
Noise and Health by Fay (1991 ACGIH/70) and
Noise and Vibration Control Engineering by Beranek and Ver (1992).
Code of Practice for Reducing the Exposure of Employed Persons to Noise by the DoE (1972/1) (the DoE Noise Code).
Regulations applicable to noise levels within an industrial facility are intended to protect employees from noise-induced hearing loss. The regulations are usually based on an employee noise exposure limits (e.g. 85 dB(A) averaged over 8 h). The regulations normally allow for exposure...
