Noise and Vibration

Q-1 What methods are used to control effects of noise at source to human ear?
(10) 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009 OR

Q-2 What is noise? What measures are to be taken to control it at source? (10)
2012, 2007

Ans. Control Methods should aim at:

a) Controlling noise at source
b) Path
c) Isolating workers (receiver)

Controlling noise at source: -

There are three types of noise source
i) Mechanical force (Vibrations)
ii) Aerodynamic force (Movement of air or gas)
iii) Electric force (Arc and corona discharge)

Vibration can be reduced by maintenance of dynamic balance, reducing rpm,

increasing duration of work cycle.

Mechanical noise can be reduced by following: (Control Measures)

1. Good engineering design.

2. Wire mesh screens instead of metal sheets
3. By lining acoustic absorbent materials
4. Mounting machines on rubber cushions/pads to reduce vibration and
noise
5. Anti-vibration lubricating and tuning and maintenance of machine.
6. Conversion of reciprocating movements into rotational movements
7. Helical teeth instead of gears.
8. Keeping fans and engines off when not in use.
9. Good regular maintenance by tightening loose guards and panels.
10. Mufflers on exhaust pipes
11. Reduction of forces and speeds.
12. Use of vibration dampers.
13. Reduction in radiating area and overall size.
14. Use of flexible mountings and couplings.
15. Proper design of fan blades
 16. Reduction in pressure, turbulence and increase in the cross section of the
streams.
17. Elimination of air and steam leaks.
18. Increase in the distance from the noise source.

Substitution with less noisy processes: Following are the examples of

substitutions.
1. Welding instead of riveting
2. Mechanical forging instead of drop forging
3. Grinding instead of chipping.
4. Slow acting process instead of high speed process.
5. Hot working of metal instead of clod working
6. Presses instead of hammers.
7. Belt drivers instead of gears.

Administrative controls such as providing ear protection to workers, rotation of

Jobs or workers in order to reduce their exposure times, transferring workers
from high noise location to lower one for some period, scheduling of machine
operating time so as to reduce the radiating time and also the number of workers
exposed to noise, transferring more susceptible workers to less noisy area or
dividing work at high noise level or extended period among two or more workers,
if it may not cause any personnel problems.

What is Noise? Noise is a sound but it is unwanted or undesired sound i.e. a

sound without agreeable musical quality. It is an annoyance and interfere with
work efficiency and causes accidents, hearing loss or deafness depending upon
its type and period of exposure.

Q-3 Effects of vibrations on human health - Short Note. (5) 2012

Ans. Effect on human body is due to frequency, amplitude and duration of exposure.
Vibration can cause annoyance and noise to human body and physical damage
to machines and structures. Vibration can harm only if some part of the body is in
direct contact with a vibrating surface viz. the seat of a vehicle or the handle of a
power tool.

Effects of vibration are feeling of disoriented or displacement, imbalance of body,

sickness, vibration disease and sometimes fatal. Whole body vibration can cause
permanent damage to body or abdominal, spinal and bone damage. Vibration-
induced White Finger (VWF) known as dead hand or Raynaud's Phenomena is a
damage to the blood vessels and nerves in fingers due to a long use of vibrating
power tools such as chipping hammers, chisels and drills.

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) cannot be controlled by working within

TLV only. Other control measures like use of anti vibration tools and gloves,
proper work practices and medical surveillance program are also necessary.
Q-4 Short Note on Health hazards due to noise exposure. (5) 2012, 2010, 2008,
2007

Ans. Excessive noise harms overall health and may contribute to -

1. Mental stress
2. Physical stress
3. Certain illness
4. Hearing Loss or deafness
5. Accidents and
6. Loss of productivity.

The harmful effects of excessive noise have been well recognized and it has
been shown that such noise produces physiological and psychological effects on
industrial workers, such as hearing loss, deafness, fatigue, irritation, annoyance,
distraction and masking. Such effects are due to sound intensity.

Q-5 Short note- Ear Protection. (4) 2008

Ans. Personal protection should be used as a last option. Ear plugs, ear muffs and
helmets can be used by the exposed person for attenuation of noise to a safe
level. Where noise levels are very high, better attenuation can be obtained by
using both ear plugs and ear muffs.

Ear plugs are the simplest, cheap and convenient devices used to reduce the
harmful effect of noise. They are conical shaped plugs of various materials for
insertion into the ear to reduce perception of noise. They can be soft or rigid.

Earmuffs are large pads of rubber or similar material attached to a band or strap
and worn about the head for reducing the effect of noise on factory workers. The
device is light, convenient to wear and effective against noise of high frequency
which is exclusively harmful to the human ear.

Head-niece or helmet is an effective device against the effect of noise levels

exceeding 120 dB where the above protective devices are ineffective. High level
of noise affects the skull causing the bones to vibrate. Such vibration adversely
affects the auricular nerves and the brain function. Helmets provide adequate
protection of the skull.

The efficiency of ear protectors is expressed by the degree of attenuation of the

noise penetrating into the external ear canal. Noise attenuation by ear protectors
is limited by bone conduction for high frequencies and by skin resistance to low
ones. Earmuffs offer higher attenuation than earplugs at the same frequency.
Hearing protector's attenuation capacity is known as Noise Reduction Rating
(NRR) and must be printed on the package.
Q-6 What do you understand by “White finger” disease? What does it occur?
(5) 2008

Ans. Vibration-induced White Finger (VWF) known as dead hand is a damage to the
blood vessels and nerves in fingers due to a long use of vibrating power tools
such as chipping hammers, chisels and drills. As a control measure use of anti
vibration tools and gloves, proper work practices and medical surveillance
program are necessary.
It causes numbness and blanking of the fingers with probable loss of muscular
control and reduction of sensitivity to heat, cold and pain. It causes paleness of
the skin due to oxygen deficiency. All vibrations make us tired or irritable.

Q-7 Explain Relation between noise & vibration. (5) 2010

Ans. Just as we are surrounded by noise we are also surrounded by vibration.
Exposure to vibration is frequently associated with exposure to noise.
Phenomena for existence of noise is also related to vibration as noise is
propagated due to vibration of air molecules in terms of compression and
expansion cycle. In industrial process since the two of them originate from the
same operation.

 In case of machine like compressor and power press the mechanical

vibrations are transmitted through the structures, walls and floors.
 Apart from the amplifying the noise level of the machine and capping it far.
This result in vibration of other part of machine, fitting, structure and sheet
metal components of equipment.
 The total effect thus is to increase the overall noise level in the work place.
For reduction of noise level it could be necessary to stop transmission of
vibration from machine to floor and structure.

Q-8 What are the elements of a noise control program in a large workshop? (5)
2008

Ans. Following are the basic elements for noise control program in large workshop.

1) Audiometric test: It is method of evaluating the hearing capability of an

individual. An audio gram is graphical representation of threshold of hearing
of an individual at various frequencies. An audiogram is taken during the pre
placement medical examination and it serves as a reference level. The
audiograms are repeated at suitable intervals depending on the exposure to
noise. Audiometric is useful.
a. Establishing lose line for future comparison
b. Steps in job placement
c. Helps to detect early, changes in hearing
 2) Hearing conservation program : The program requires following;
a. Noise Surveys: Two types of noise surveys are carried out. Preliminary
and detailed. Hearing conservation program starts with preliminary survey
when workers are exposed to high noise levels. Noise survey is carried
out in areas where it is difficult to communicate in normal tones or the
noise masks speech or the workers develop ringing in the ear. From the
primary survey it can be determined where more detailed survey is
necessary. Following steps are necessary for noise survey
i. Area measurement
ii. Work station measurement
iii. Exposure duration

b. Noise conservation program: A comprehensive hearing conservation

program involves,
i. Plant noise surveys, noise measurement, analysis and reduction of
noise by engineering control.
ii. Pre employment and periodic audiometric test, record of audio
gram and their evaluation
iii. Hearing protectors to workers exposed to noise levels of 85 dB or
more.
iv. Record of workplace noise exposure measurements.
v. Training of workers regularly the program.

3) Hearing test helps in identifying employees who are highly susceptible to

noise induced hearing loss, so that they can be given better protection before
their loss becomes permanent. Pre employment test protects employers from
assuming responsibility for hearing damage incurred before placement.

4) Hearing conservation program should be undertaken where exposure to

industrial noise is capable of producing hearing loss. The object is to ensure
that an employee’s hearing is not affected during his working life to an extent
greater than that usually occurring with age and preserve it at that level.

Q-9 Differentiate Noise & vibration. (5) 2011

Ans.
 Noise is often defined as unwanted sound, but technically noise is the perception
of a series of compressions and rarefactions of the air above and below normal
atmospheric pressure.
 Vibration refers to the oscillating movement of any object.
 Noise is the term used to describe the vibration of air particles and the term
vibration is usually used for the vibration of solid objects.
 Noise can lead to vibration of objects, and vibration transmitted through the
ground can radiate from a surface into the air and be perceived as noise when it
is referred to as ground-borne noise.
 Essentially, noise can be described as what a person hears, and vibration as
what they feel.