Department of Vibroacustic Hazards - Projects
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Abstract

Assessing exposure to school noise and developing principles of prevention

Project manager: Anna Kaczmarska-Kozłowska Ph.D. (Eng.)

Project summary:

The aim of the task was to assess teachers' exposure to noise in primary schools (excluding music schools) and to develop principles of preventing exposure. Assessment of teachers' exposure to noise and occupational risk assessment related to that exposure were conducted on the basis of the results of - subjective tests in the form of a questionnaire - environmental tests, i.e., direct measurements in the working environment - measuring the acoustic properties of school rooms (reverberation time and speech transmission index) - analysis of data on hazards and occupational diseases registered at the level of the state (data from the Central Statistical Office and the Central Register of Occupational Diseases). The analysis of the obtained results revealed that noise at teachers' workstations was the principal strenuous factor in their working environment. Noise at school can be a strenuous factor in teachers' working environment; it can result in the development of occupational diseases (permanent hearing damage and chronic diseases of the vocal organ). As the determined levels of exposure to noise, related to the weekly work hours, at most teachers'C workstations ranged within 66-78 dB and did not exceed the admissible values, the risk of an onset of permanent hearing damage is low. However, because of the high levels noise at schools (over 80 dB) - in corridors/halls during breaks and in gyms, it is not possible to exclude the risk of hearing damage. Bad acoustic properties of classrooms in the schools that were studied (especially the long reverberation time in most classrooms, of the order of 0.8-1.7 s) increase the general level of noise in rooms. The tests that were conducted indicate that it is necessary to take up noise prevention that includes technical and organizational prevention. The staff room in a selected school underwent was adapted acoustically.



Unit: Department of Vibroacustic Hazards

Duration: 01.01.2008 – 30.12.2010