Advisory Committee Chair
Jonghwa Oh
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) School of Public Health
Abstract
With the significant presence of occupational noise exposure, the development of mobile sound measurement applications has been reported. These apps have the potential to help reduce purchasing costs of sampling equipment for small businesses. One of the most promising apps is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Sound Level Meter (SLM), but most studies on the accuracy of the app have been conducted in controlled labs. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between the NIOSH SLM and type 2 noise measuring instruments in real work settings. Both short-term and long-term noise sampling was conducted in a metal fabrication shop. Thirteen noise sources, including water jets, lathes, (near) welders, presses, mills, wood planners, circular saws, a laser cutter, a sand blaster, and a deburring machine, were selected for short-term sampling. The average short-term sampling duration was 2.5 minutes, and maximum sound level (Lmax) and A-weighted, equivalent continuous sound level (LAeq) were collected from the app installed on an iPhone 11 and type 2 SLM. Welding/general work area and water jet cutter area were chosen for long-term sampling, with a typical shift length of 8 hours. LAeq, Lmax, dose, projected dose, and time-weighted average (TWA) were collected from the app and type 2 noise dosimeter. For the short-term sampling, an average difference in Lmax between the app and type 2 reference device was +2.2 dB(A) (range 0-7.8 dB(A)). For LAeq, an average difference of -1.4 dB(A) was observed (range 0.1-8.4 dB(A)). One long-term sample taken at the water jet cutter area was interrupted by unknown notification(s), which stopped the data collection. The welding/general work area sample showed a difference of 1.7 dB(A) for Lmax, 2.8 dB(A) for LAeq, a 0.3% difference for projected dose and dose, and a difference of 5.8 dB(A) for TWA. Overall, large variances were observed between the NIOSH SLM and the type 2 reference instruments, indicating that the NIOSH SLM may not be suited to replace professional noise measuring devices, but the app may still be used to get a good approximation for employee noise exposure.
Recommended Citation
Costlow, Maxwell Scott, "Evaluation Of The Niosh Sound Level Meter App In Real Work Settings" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6831.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6831
Comments
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