Superstructure construction activities' occupational noise exposure

Abstract

Malaysia currently undergoes an excessive development phase for achieving developed country in the year 2020, thus construction activities play a major role in achieving Malaysia’s target. However, construction is the key factor in noise pollution. Noise is an undesirable sound that can lead to an industrial hazard if the occurrence is excessive, and eventually will bring a negative impact on the health and safety of living things if the exposure is of the limit from the allowable range. Industries of constructions are the main contributor to noise pollution, especially from the heavy construction field that resulted in complained by a society that noise produced disturbing the residential area from having a peaceful time. Hence, the worst situation for construction workers who are the most exposed with a high noise level that will risk their health with diseases such as loss of hearing ability, hypertension and irregular heartbeat if no awareness and undertaken of precaution executed. Unfortunately, Malaysia is facing with least availability of data related to noise from construction machines and workers exposure level especially during superstructure stage, although records from The Social Security Organization (SOCSO) shows that many construction workers had seek for compensation due to hearing impairment.Therefore, this study is done mainly to evaluate the occupational noise exposure of construction workers due to superstructure stage activities. To obtain this aim, symptom on hearing loss among workers were acquired through questionnaire and followed by the measurement of sound intensity produced by construction machineries widely used. The measurement of occupational noise exposure on-site was then determined. Sound power level of machineries were determined according to ISO 112000, Acoustics-Noise emitted by machinery and equipment while noise exposure was measured according to Factories and Machinery Act 1967 (Act 139) P.U. (A) 1/89 Factories and Machinery (Noise Exposure) Regulations 1989. The results show that the symptom of hearing loss does exist when it was found that 39% of workers with more than 15 years of working in constructions continuously suffering hearing interruption when they need to communicate at a distance of more than one meter. Also, there were machineries at superstructure stage that potentially susceptible to noise-induced Hearing Loss to construction workers such as Pneumatic Drill / Hacker, Bar Bending, and Dump Truck as they produced high sound intensity more than 85 dBA. Further, Backhoe and Dump truck operators were obtained to have highest mean of time weighting average (TWA) of 80 dBA. According to FMR 1989, this value is not causing the noise-induced hearing loss. However, there were operators have TWA values exceed 85 dBA in which the management team should be aware of. There was also correlation between TWA and sound power level of machineries and its age. The older the age of the machines, the higher noise will be producing by machine.