CALCULATED IN-EAR A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVELS RESULTING FROM TWO METHODS OF HEARING PROTECTOR SELECTION

Abstract

A computer program was written to calculate the noise levels reaching the ears of a hypothetical workforce exposed to typical industrial noises but protected by a range of typical hearing protectors, the latter being ‘fitted’ in each instance according to either the traditional octave-band method or the more recent Sound Level Conversion (SLC) method. Selection on the basis of SLC rating results in a slightly more variable distribution of in-ear A-weighted sound levels than selection on the basis of octave band attenuation values. The difference, however, is numerically small and it is considered that SLC ratings, which are far simpler to use, provide an acceptable basis for selecting hearing protectors in all but exceptional cases.