Noise in Industry - Fundamentals and Assessment Tools for Occupational Ergonomics - page 636

Air intake muffler

Sound-absorbing
material beneath ceiling

Sound shield,
absorbing

Flexible
pipe

Control
room

Door with
sealing
strips
Vibration
isolation
Double glass with
large interval
between, with
stripping

Noisy equipment
in basement

Placement of heavy,
vibrating equipment
on separate plates
with pillars

Sound
insulating
joints

FIGURE 31.9 Examples of noise control implementation in an industrial plant. (Adapted from OSHA (1980) Noise
Control, A Guide for Workers and Employers. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Report No. 3048.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor. With permission.)

creates difficulties for the operators in carrying out their jobs, they may tend to modify or remove it,
rendering it ineffective.

31.5.2.2.7 Personnel
As shown in Figure 31.7, multiple individuals play important roles in an industrial HCP, and the program
should filter down from management personnel who must demonstrably support it. The key individual
is the HCP coordinator (at the lower left in Figure 31.7), typically a permanent employee of the company
but sometimes an outside consultant, who serves as the responsible individual and overseer for the
program as well as its internal “champion.” This individual, if properly qualified, may also be responsible
for implementation of certain aspects of the program, including noise monitoring, audiometry on
employees, selection and purchase of hearing protection devices (HPDs), and other functions. The
HCP coordinator often heads a hearing conservation committee with representatives from labor, man-
agement, plant engineering, and safety. The coordinator also serves as a link between management and