Noise Sources Analysis in a Wood Manufacturing Company

The need for noise assessment in occupational health is a growing necessity, especially in production activity during which high sound pressure levels occur. A continuous exposure to relevant noise dose can lead to several effects on human health and quality of life. A resume of the auditory and non-auditory effects is given as an introduction to an experimental activity performed in a wood manufacturing company. The different sources are characterized by means of single source noise emission measurements performed during specific periods out of working time. In addition, the acoustic climate is evaluated with measurements taken during normal working activity. The emission of each single source operating in idling phase or with a sample load is highlighted and the correspondent spectrum is used as an identification pattern. The possibility of creating a database of noise spectra is suggested as a first step towards specific mitigation actions and monitoring tools tuned on frequency analysis.