Guide for Workplace NOISE at Aalborg Portland

Noise, workplace noise become Number One occupational disease for last three years accordance with SOCSO. The highest
SOCSO claim were due to hearing issue at workplace. The following guidance observe to understand and control noise at APM.

Regulation
▪ Noise regulation 2019 gazette in June-2019, replace the Noise regulation 1989. The regulation
focus on the all occupational activity within the OSH Act 1994.
▪ Focus on Noise Limitation, Audiometry Test, Hearing Conservation, Personal Protective Equipment
▪ Permissible Noise Limit = 82dsb

Common Noises can be loud

▪ Machine – Mill, Air blaster, Compressor units, Jack hammer, Crusher, Shovel & Truck movements
▪ Office – Telephone, fire alarm, social message alert, chit-chat
▪ Quarry – Blasting, crushing, transportation, weigh bridge operation.

Permanent Hearing Damage

▪ Temporary hearing loss due to exposure to higher noise, noise level > 140 dB at a time.
▪ Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS), shift on the hearing audiometry on temporary basis, exposure due
to occupational.
▪ Repeated exposures to loud noises damage hair cells of ear to point that they won’t recover, cause
permanent hearing loss

Symptom of high -frequency hearing loss

▪ Harder to hear words start with or end with s, h, f or th
▪ When people talk to you, feel like you can hear but not understand
▪ You struggle understand children’s voices

Prevention
▪ Workplace layout, place noisy machines away from employee (plant and office)
▪ Enclosure of loud machine, i.e. shutter doors, wall
▪ Building design, use of new material, insulating walls and floor to absorb noise
▪ Installing barrier between loud machine and employee, which reduce exposure to loud noise (i.e.
staff room, ccr room, control room)
▪ Use of machine with low noise \ vibration, buy machine with low noise score
▪ Install sound insulating equipment (i.e. silencer, increase ventilation or airflow)
▪ Auto-operation of machine through minimize need to physical observation

Control
▪ Staff practicing, include shift, job-rotation, provided adequate break time in between work.
▪ Only one worker each shift to oversee noisy area (i.e. one operator at crusher)
▪ Daily inspection of machine by Reliability team to check adequate condition of machine
▪ Minimize wear and tear of machine through scheduled maintenance of machineries
▪ Signages to indicate Noise Area from common work areas inside plant
▪ Annual Audiometry test to monitor employee wellbeing and adequacy of noise control
▪ Training on hearing conservation annually to educate employee

Hearing Protection Device

▪ Ear muffler
▪ Ear plug

Hearing Conservation Program

▪ Each of the employee annually tested for audiometry
▪ Each new employee screen for hearing to ensure no hearing issue
▪ Employee with hearing issue continuously monitor and provide additional screening
▪ Hearing protection devises make available to each employee
▪ Noise Risk Assessment perform by Consultant and noise risk area identified and control placed
▪ Annual Hearing Conservation Training for employee
▪ ISO audit to ensure adequate system and guidance in placed to protect employee from NOISE

As employee,
▪ Wear the hearing protection when enter high noise area
▪ Keep distance from source of noise
▪ Follow the SOP for operation of machine
▪ Shall report noise hazards
▪ Involve in Hearing Conservation Program include
Audiometry Test
Source:
1. OSH (Noise) Regulation 2019
2. OSHA U.S Noise Guidance
3. Canada Centre of Occupational, Health & Safety, NOISE (2017).