SOUND EXPOSURE PROFILING - A NOISE MONITORING ALTERNATIVE

Estimation of worker exposure to noise is a necessary component of a c omprehensive hearing conservation program or hearing loss prevention p rogram. Exposure estimates can be developed either by (1) using dosime ter techniques, where the subject worker wears a monitoring instrument throughout part or all of a work shift and the resultant single numbe r exposure estimate is assumed to be representative of the workers lon g-term risk of exposure, or (2) applying a task-based exposure assessm ent model to identity worker tasks and related sound exposure levels, which are then collated and compiled to portray a typical day for expo sure risk assessment purposes. Sound exposure profiling is an organiza tionally structured application of the task-based procedure and can be a reliable and verifiable methodology to estimate worker sound exposu re that allow optimum use of the data collected in the field, This art icle describes sound exposure profiling and discusses its utility appl ication, and limitations.