Evaluating noise exposure levels of laboratories in civil engineering education

One of the most highly found physical contaminants in the working environment is noise, which cause negative health effects associated with the hearing system that could lead to temporary or permanent deafness. Therefore, occupational noise is a risk that is being monitored at work places by measuring exposure levels and developing preventive measures. However, there are certain work places, such as laboratories used for research and education, which are not usually considered to be noisy, even though some activities could generate harmful noise levels for laboratory personnel and students. This study aimed to evaluate and highlight the risks associated with civil engineering laboratories, where noisy experiments are conducted on a regular basis. Thirteen commonly conducted experiments from four different civil engineering areas were selected for measurement. The highest noise exposure levels of each experiment were determined and compared with the limits imposed by different regulations and standards. The results showed that three of the experiments (grinding aggregate by ball grinder, crushing aggregate by jaw crusher and cutting concrete by saw) generate noise above the limits determined by standards and regulations. Preventive measures to reduce noise levels for these experiments were recommended and a noise control flow chart for similar work environments was presented.