Assignment

1. Define the following terms associated with occupational noise:

a. Wavelength

b. Frequency

c. Sound Pressure

d. Decibel

e. Octave Band

2. You have been tasked with establishing and implementing an effective hearing conservation program for a metal stamping facility. Noise monitoring shows that employees working in the press areas of the facility are exposed to 8-hour TWA noise exposures between 85.0 dBA and 89.0 dBA. Based on the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.95, summarize the requirements for an effective hearing conservation program and discuss steps to make the program as effective as possible. Please refer to 29 CFR 1910.95(b)(2) for the formula.

3. Three workers (8-hour work shift) were monitored for work in different areas of a facility using calibrated noise dosimeters. The results are summarized in the table.

a. Calculate the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) noise exposure for each of the three workers.

b. Summarize which (one) of the exposures exceeds OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) and/or action level for noise.

c. Discuss what factors about the noise monitoring may have affected the accuracy of the noise measurements.

Show your work for all mathematical calculations. Please refer to Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.95 for assistance on how-to solve this problem.

4. A plant that manufactures automobile chassis includes a production area containing 100 robotic welding stations. An adjacent area contains 10 welding booths where employees perform hand welding using MIG welders to rework welds that have been identified as unacceptable. Personal air sampling shows that personal exposures at 5 of the welding booths located in the middle of the rework exceed the OSHA PEL for lead, nickel, and iron oxide fumes. On average, the personal exposures exceed the applicable OSHA PEL by 2-3 times.

Using OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls, write one paragraph for the hazard scenario above that summarizes your approach to reducing the risks associated with the hazard. Indicate which type of hazard control you will use, and describe exactly how it will be used to control the hazard.

5.) A plant has an operation that produces automotive headliners in a press. The process uses a compound that contains methylene bisphenyl isocyanate (MDI). The compound containing MDI must be used in the production process to meet the client's specifications for the headliner. The OSHA PEL for MDI is 0.02 ppm as a ceiling concentration. Personal air samples collected for 15 minutes at the time when the press opens show that short-term exposures range from 0.02 ppm to 0.06 ppm.

Using OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls, write one paragraph for the hazard scenario above that summarizes your approach to reducing the risks associated with the hazard. Indicate which type of hazard control you will use, and describe exactly how it will be used to control the hazard.

6. A press area of a plant has six 400-ton presses in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Personal monitoring using noise dosimeters has shown that 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposures range from 92.0 dBA to 94.5 dBA.

Using OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls, write a hazard scenario using the information above that summarizes your approach to reducing the risks associated with the hazard. Indicate which type of hazard control you will use, and describe exactly how it will be used to control the hazard.

7. Employees in the paint department of an automotive parts production facility use styrene to clean residue off the parts as they come off the paint line. The OSHA PEL for styrene is 100 ppm as an 8-hour TWA exposure. Personal air samples show that during peak production times, exposures range from 150 ppm to 200 ppm for an 8-hour shift. The parts cleaning is performed in a small room with one door.

Using OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls, write one paragraph for the hazard scenario above that summarizes your approach to reducing the risks associated with the hazard. Indicate which type of hazard control you will use, and describe exactly how it will be used to control the hazard.