Sound exposure profiling: A noise monitoring alternative

Estimation of worker exposure to noise is a necessary component of a comprehensive hearing conservation program or hearing loss prevention program. Exposure estimates can be developed either by (1) using dosimeter techniques, where the subject worker wears a monitoring instrument throughout part or all of a work shift and the resultant single number exposure estimate is assumed to be representative of the workers long-term risk of exposure, or (2) applying a task-based exposure assessment model to identity worker tasks and related sound exposure levels, which are then collated and compiled to portray a typical day for exposure risk assessment purposes. Sound exposure profiling is an organizationally structured application of the task-based procedure and can be a reliable and verifiable methodology to estimate worker sound exposure that allow optimum use of the data collected in the field, This article describes sound exposure profiling and discusses its utility application, and limitations.