• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.569-576
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• 2019

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to assess firefighters' daily personal noise exposure and explore noise levels related to specific tasks and their contributions to total noise exposure using 24-hour full-shift noise exposure measurements with task-based data. Methods: Noise exposure was assessed for eight firefighters (two rescuers, two drivers, and four suppressors) using time-activity diaries. We collected a total of 24 full-shift personal noise sample sets (three samples per a firefighter). The 24-hour shift-adjusted daily personal noise exposure level (L_ep,d), eight weekly personal noise exposures (L_eq,w), and 40 task-specific L_eq values (L_{eq activity}) were calculated via the ISO/NIOSH method. Results: The firefighter noise-sample datasets showed that most firefighters are exposed to noise levels above EU recommended levels at a low-action value. The highest noise exposure was for rescuers, followed by drivers and suppressors. Noise measurements with time-at-task information revealed that 82.3% of noise exposure occurred when checking equipment and responding to fire or emergency calls. Conclusions: The results indicate that firefighters are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Therefore, efforts at noise-control are necessary for their protection. This task-specific noise exposure assessment also shows that protective measures should be focused on certain tasks, such as checking and testing equipment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.457-464
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• 1999

To develop managing guidance of occupational noise exposure for metal working facility, we have studied about drafting contour map of noise exposure, methods of noise assessment and actual calculation method of time weighted noise exposure. Therefore we have suggested that contour maps of noisy workplace are very important for controlling metal working fluid facility and two kinds of noise assessment method, so called, personal andstatic exposure are necessary to avoid argument between workers and managing group. Finally we would like recommend that the Korean specification of noise exposure should be modified to protect ONIHL(oocupational noise induced hearing loss).

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.264-274
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• 2012

Evaluation on the environmental noise is carried out by surveying subjective response of residents with physical measurement of noise during long period in field. Particularly field survey is used to make regulations from the analysis on how many people are annoyed for specific noise level, and laboratory test used to analyze the relationship between physical parameters of noise and subjective responses. In the laboratory controlling the variables is easy but the results could be biased because the condition in room would be different with field. Most of all noise exposure time is considered to be different with real situation, and this study aimed to evaluate the subjective response by exposure time of transportation noise, by applying three kinds of variable how much they give effects on the annoyance as the exposure time is operating condition, windows type and sound level. As a result there was somewhat difference between operating type and annoyance, which is caused by the sound characteristics operated in different condition. However the window type didn't give much effect to the annoyance as much as sound type. This means that the subjective response could give similar result by exposure time even for different window types. Most of all, the main factor affecting subjective response is considered to be the sound level and the exposure time.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.97-103
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• 1999

As the noise of ship engine room is too loud, the engineer who works in a ship engine-room has the trouble of hearing. In this paper deals the investigation of the noise of ship engine room and cabins with the internationally allowable noise exposure level and noise exposure time. Recently, the problem of engine-room noise is more serious because of shipowner wants to make small number and larger size of cylinder. Therefore, engineers work in a ship engine-room for a long time have the trouble of hearing when they are exposed the high noise level. In this study, two kinds of vessels were used to investigate the noise of engine room, engine-control room, bridge, offices and cabins. As criteria of sound levels, A-weighted sound pressure level and octave band pressure level were used.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.94-101
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the noise exposures of firefighters according to their time-dependent activity patterns. Methods: Personal exposure levels were measured for six days and nights using noise dosimeters; three days and nights for on-duty tasks, the other days and nights for off-duty activities. Results: The total amount of time spent in the workplace was 13,677 min (67%), outside areas 4,833 min (23%), in transit 1,002 min (5%), and other indoor area 807 min (4%) during a working period. However, during off-days they spent 10,858 min (76%) at home, 1,382 min (10%) outdoors, 1,225 min (9%) other indoors, and 493 min (3%) in transit. As a result of individual exposure levels, TWA did not exceed 90 dBA of the occupational exposure limit for the majority of the firefighters, whereas the levels of Lmax were 119 dBA, which were higher than the noise levels of firefighters in USA. Sometimes during dispatching the levels of Lpeak exceeded the ACGIH exposure standard (140 dBC). The Leq levels in transit were higher than the levels in home and other indoors even though the activity time is short. Conclusions: This paper characterized the noise exposure patterns of firefighters in Korea. We suggest that special noise sources, including sirens and speaker phones, should be readjusted to reduce noise exposure.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.15 no.5 s.98
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• pp.550-557
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• 2005

Korean 'Law of Aviation' and 'Test Method of Measuring Noise and Vibration' designate to use WECPNL metric based on $L_{max}$ measurement for the accessment of aircraft noise in Korea. However, time duration of noise event can not be considered in $L_{max}$ metric in principle, compensation on the duration has been utilized. A study was done recently to evaluate appropriate duration compensation for the accessment of military aircraft noise under current metric of WECPNL and $L_{max}$. This study was carried out to evaluate what metric is the most appropriate to express aircraft noise including time duration of single noise event, computing and comparing noise exposure with 1 second noise measurement data of military aircraft in $L_{max}$, $L_{Aeq,\;T}$ and SEL. This study shows SEL is the most appropriate noise metric for the evaluation of noise exposure with time duration such as aircraft noise without compensation. It is suggested to use SEL noise metric instead of $L_{max}$ noise metric with duration compensation for the aircraft noise accessment either military aircraft or civilian aircraft.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.217-225
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• 1998

In this paper, the analysis of the relation between noise induced hearing loss and noise exposure is described for the A-weighted noise levels and exposure duration. The hearing loss and sensitivity threshold shift is investigated by changing the various parameters such as the effects of aging and noise exposure. Total hearing loss is proportional to a function of exposure level based upon the integral of pressure with time. If the noise exposure term is large so that the presbycusis may be neglected, the hearing loss due to aging and noise exposure becomes the noise induced hearing loss. It is shown that exposure to excessive noise can cause temporary loss of hearing that may become permanent if the exposure is prolonged or intense. An audiogram taken from a person suffering from noise induced hearing loss will usually show the greatest loss of hearing sensitivity in the 4kHz region, which is typically the region most sensitive to damage resulting from many types of industrial noise.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.393-405
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• 2018

Objective: This study examines the types of hazardous factors in the working environment and the time-trend for their exposure levels over 10 years (2007 to 2016). Study Design and Method: The types of hazardous factors and exposure levels were drawn from the 19 measurement reports on the working environment over 10 years at a shock absorber manufacturing facility. Risk assessment of the types of factors and time-trend of exposure levels were evaluated using the factors and exposure levels. Results: A total of 34 hazardous factors were evaluated. The types were noise, 15 organic compounds, seven kinds of acid sand alkalis, eight kinds of heavy metals, and three other compounds. Special management materials used were nickel, hexavalent chrome, and sulfuric acid. Human carcinogens (1A) used were trichloroethylene, nickel, and sulfuric acid. There were six types of substances belonging to the IARC's 2B (body carcinogens) classification or higher, including, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethyl benzene, and trichloroethylene. No detection was found for 627 out of the 2065 total measurements in 19 exposure survey reports, representing 30.4%. Organic solvents, acid and alkali products, and heavy metals showed continuous low exposure concentrations. Noise, welding fumes, and the evaluation of mixed solvents show a gradual decrease in geometric mean and maximum over the time-trend of 10 years. Conclusions: In the case of a shock absorber manufacturing facility, the hazardous factors of noise and the evaluation of mixed solvents still indicate high concentrations exceeding the exposure limits and necessitate reduction studies. These two factors and welding fumes showed a continuous decrease in their ten-year tendency. Organic compounds, acids/alkalis, and heavy metals were managed smoothly in a work environment of continuous low concentrations.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.207-212
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• 2006

The noise levels on board ship recognized at Europe in the early 1970s and the noise regulations on board ship began to put in a statutory form. After that, in 1982 "International Code on Noise Levels on Board Ships" adopted by IMO and it became standard to the newly built ship and remain so to this day. Especially, the ship engine room, which have huge main engine and various kinds of subsidiary machines, is under an extremely loud condition and so the worker who works in it is easy to lose his hearing. Recently, each nation regulates the allowable noise exposure time by law to protect the industrial employee from the occupational hardness of hearing. In our country, the allowable noise exposure time is regulated by the labor standard law but the international provisions regulated by IMO have been applied in case of the ship engine room. In this paper, the cabin's noise levels of cargo-passenger ships plies south-west coast line were investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.433-438
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• 2001

This study is performed to evaluate hand-arm vibration syndrome(HA VS) of the workers in swaging process. Vibration measurement and assessment of human exposure are based on the international standard(ISO 5349). Triaxial acceleration of each operation and exposure time are measured to predict the periods before finger blanching, As results, it is found that acceleration is concerned with the diameter of pipes in swaging process, and also found that combined work is more harmful than a single operation.