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Ted,<BR>
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The noise figures you posted are interesting, but do not tell the whole story. It is important to know the facts to adequately protect yourselves.<BR>
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OSHA's requirements are politically correct, not scientifically correct. Big businesses screamed about noise controls and had powerful lobbyists in Washington. 8 hours at 90dB WILL cause hearing damage to a goodly portion of the population. <BR>
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The rest of the world starts at 85dB and uses a 3dB exchange rate. (8 hours at 85dB, 4 hours at 82dB, etc.) even that exchange rate will allow a small percentage of the workforce to acquire noise induced hearing loss.<BR>
<BR>
When something sounds twice as loud at an increase of 10dB, the sound pressure level--the force of the pressure waves hitting your eardrum--already doubled in intensity at 6dB. We just don't experience the doubling until 10dB.<BR><BR>Diane Hofstetter, OHC, AAS-HIS<BR>
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(Occupational Hearing Conservationist, Associate of Applied Science-Hearing Instrument Specialist)<BR><BR>
PS: Just last month NIOSH, the federal government's branch that deals specifically with noise controls in industry, backed down from last-year's promises to NHCA (National Hearing Conservation Association) to tighten the laws regarding engineering controls for noise protection in the workplace.<BR><BR> <BR>
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Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 21:19:44 -0800<BR>From: esambell@yahoo.com<BR>To: caut@ptg.org<BR>Subject: [CAUT] Useful data on loudness<BR><BR>
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<DIV>Body=<A href="http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html" target=_blank>http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html</A></DIV><BR>I don't know if this has appeard on the list before, but I think it is very enlighyening.<BR><BR>Ted Sambell<BR></DIV></DIV><BR> </body>
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