Occupational noise exposure assessment in wooden microenterprises of Neiva city in 2019
Contextualization: The noise exposure assessment is an essential component of hearing loss prevention programs to recognize vulnerable workers, to propose control measures and / or to evaluate the measures implemented.
Knowlegdge gap: In Colombia, there is a limited number of works that address noise exposure and its assessment.
Purpose: Occupational noise exposure in the operating area of two microenterprises in the city of Neiva was evaluated by dosimetry and sonometry. These companies are dedicated to the commercialization of chipboard using specialized machines such as vertical saws and veneers.
Methodology: Initially, a diagnosis of working conditions was made; later, noise measurements were carried out following the work-based strategy pursuant ISO 9612-2010.
Results and conclusions: The equivalent sound pressure levels (73,0 and 82,4 dB (A)) registered by the sonometry system are similar to those reported in carpentry workshops and furniture factories. The dosimetry results reveal that the vertical saw and the veneer machine operators are exposed 8 hours daily to noise levels between 88,50 and 89,9 dB (A), which exceed the permissible limit value (85 dB), as stipulated by resolution 1792 of 1990. However, the chipboard microenterprise operators evaluated were not overexposed to noise thanks to the attenuation brought by the hearing protectors used.