Noise Control Training

Module No. 1

Basic Acoustic Knowledge

What is noise?
Noise is defined as the unwanted sound and
sound is defined as any pressure variation
(in air, water, or other medium) that human
ear can detect. Therefore, to some people,
the sound of a loud music can be just a
sound but to some other people it can be an
annoying noise.

Wavelength
Measured distance (feet or meters) between two
analogous points on two successive parts of a
wave
Greek letter lambda () used to express
wavelength

Frequency
Rate at which variation in normal
atmospheric pressure occurs
Expressed as Hertz (Hz) - synonymous with
cycles per second
Audible frequency range for humans with
good hearing is between 20 to 20,000 Hz

Velocity
Velocity at which analogous points on successive
parts of a sound wave pass a given point is called
the speed of sound (c)
Speed of sound is always equal to the product of
the frequency and the wavelength (c = f )
In air at 25oC, c is about 344 m/sec
Speed of sound increases as the medium becomes
more dense and less compressible; e.g., csteel =
5000 m/sec

Velocity - continue
Materials

Speed of Sounds (m/s)

Water

1460

Brick

3560

Timber

5260

Steel

6100

Wavelength
Therefore, knowing the speed and frequency of a
sound, we can calculate the
with the equation of speed of sound
Frequency
Example:At 20 Hz, m/s

c/s

= 17.3 meter

At 20 kHz, m/s

c/s

= 17.3 millimeter

Wavelength
For Low Frequency, e.g 20 Hz, 17.3 m

Low Frequency, SOUND

Wavelength
For High Frequency, e.g 20 kHz =17.3 mm

High Frequency, SOUND

Scales For Noise dB

What is dB?

dB stand for DECIBEL which was named after

Alexander Graham Bell

Why use decibel?

Decibel represents a relative measurement or

ratio

Sound Pressure
(Pa)
vs
Sound Pressure
Level (dB)

Sound Pressure
(Pa)
vs
Sound Pressure
Level (dB)

Unit For Noise

The unit used to measure noise is called decibel (dB)
and the Sound Pressure Level in decibel is defined as
SPL = 10 log (p/po)2 where po = reference rms sound
pressure (20 uPa)
- dB also known to be dB(L) or linear
- dB(A) or A-weighted is scale heard or perceived
by human ear
- dB(W) is the unit used to describe sound power

Difference of Unit For Noise

can also be written as LA or Lw

beside A-weighted, there are also B, C and D weighted

RELATIVE RESPONSE (dB)

Frequency-response Characteristics
for
Sound Level Meters

FREQUENCY (Hz)

The Impact of Noise Level

Noise Sources

dB(A)

Remarks

Jet Take off at 25m

150

Ear Drum Rupture

Jet Take off at 100m

130

Threshold of Pain

Live Rock Music

110

Serious hearing damage

after 8 hours

Jackhammer, motorbike
ramming

100

Temporary deafness after 2

hours

Busy traffic, Plant area

90

Hearing damage after 8

hours

Normal Conversation

60

Whispering, quite library

30

Threshold of Hearing

Very quiet

Local Government Legislation

on Noise
There are 2 government legislations

DOE
DOSH

DOE regulation
Noise

to be treated 65 dB(A) during day time

& 55 dB(A) during night time, measured at
the boundary.
Maximum penalty can be imposed is
RM5000 per summon and further RM500 per
day for everyday that the offence is
continued.

DOE Regulation
DOE Regulation (Guideline on Genset
Installation)
Genset Application is done under Section 36,
(Clean Air) 1978
1.
Noise to be treated :
65 dB(A) during day time &
55 dB(A) during night time,
measured at the boundary.
2.
Exhaust Outlet has to be at least 3
meter above the ground

DOSH Regulation
Factories and Machinery (Noise Exposure)
Regulation 1989
Concerning workers and noise inside the factory
No employee should be expose to the continuous
noise exceeding 90dB(A) for duration of 8 hours
Exchange rate is 5 dB; every increment of 5 dB,
halves the time of exposure
No employee should be expose to noise level
exceeding 115dB(A) at any time

How Is Noise Level

Measured?
Instrument called Sound
Level Meter.
There are 3 different
types of sound surveys to
measure and evaluate the
noise
the basic, or area, noise
survey
to

find out where noise

may or may not be a
problem

How Is Noise Level

Measured?
Dose Meter

to find out how much noise is

a worker exposed to.

How Is Noise Level

Measured? - continue
Engineering noise control
survey

Confirm noise contribution of

specific machines, machine
components or processes
Determine frequency
distribution of specific
machines, machine
components or processes
Determine and prioritize
suitable controls for
machinery/processes

Converting dB Linear to dB(A)

Octave Band
Frequency (Hz)

63 125 250 500 1K 2k 4k 8k

Sound Press in
dB(L)

79 82

85

85

87 82 75 68

A-weighted
-26 -16 -9
Correction factor

-3

Sound Press in
dB(A)

82

87 83 76 67

53 66

76

+1 +1 -1

Noise Spectrum and Overall

Noise Level
Noise Spectrum is the noise level which taken
at each frequency e.g.
Octave Band
63 125 250 500 1K 2k 4k 8k
Frequency (Hz)
Sound Press

53 66

76

84

87 86 82 67

Overall Noise Level is the summation of the

noise spectrum to become a single value e.g
92 dB

Calculating Equivalent
Octave
dBABand L
Correction
Freq in (Hz)

Factors

Corrected
Values

31.5

94

-39

55

63

95

-26

69

125

92

-16

76

250

95

-9

86

500

97

-3

94

1,000

97

97

2,000

102

+1

103

4,000

97

+1

98

8,000

92

-1

91