Noise exposure of construction workers during the earthwork stage

Abstract

Exposure to hazardous and excessive noise level among construction workers may affect the workers mentally and physically. It also generally may lead to more serious consequences that affected their safety and health as well. The aim of this study is to determine the noise exposure level experienced among construction workers during the earthwork stage. In order to achieve this aim, questionnaire surveys related to perception on noise exposures were carried out on management team and workers. It followed by the measurement of sound power level of construction machineries which are widely used during earthwork stage as these machineries are the noise sources in construction site. The measurements of noise exposure level experienced by operator and non-operator working in the area were then acquired. Sound power level of machineries were determined according to ISO 112000, Acoustics-Noise emitted by machinery and equipment while noise exposures were measured according Factories and Machinery Act 1967 (Act 139) P.U. (A) 1/89 Factories and Machinery (Noise Exposure) Regulations 1989. The result from questionnaire survey found that 43% of the construction workers experiencing hearing loss symptom whereby 34.3% of them were among the workers who worked for more than 10 years in construction. It was obtained that 65% of construction machineries generated hazardous sound level (=85 dBA) and 49% of measured workers were exposed to noise above action level (=85 dBA). Analysis shows that noise exposure level of workers has good relationship with sound produced by machineries (r = 0.65). The measurement results on noise exposure proved that construction workers at excavation stage susceptible to risk of developing hearing loss and this is coinciding with the finding from questionnaire survey.