A Rapid Method for Estimating of Noise Exposure in Work-places.

BACKGROUND Noise pollution is one of the important issues of pollutant in workplaces and is almost one of the harmful agents for workers. At present, instrumental based inspections for determining the index levels of noise in workshops is performed. This method is requiring a time consuming and ex-pensive in large scale inspection for workplaces. Classification of workplaces based on noise pollution is one of the necessaries for macro programming view of monitoring and controlling of noise. The Propose of this study was to submit a simply scientifically screening method for inspection of noise pollution in workplaces. METHODS In this experimental study, the results of instrument based and checklist based of noise in-vestigation was compared. For designing of proposed screening checklist and instrumental measuring based, 30 workplaces with more than 20 workers in Hamadan industrial area (west of Iran) were stud-ied. The suggested screening checklist containing a 3*10 matrix can use for recognition step of noise assessment in a large scale investigations. RESULTS Comparison of the results of the noise screening test with the outcome of a noise measurement by sound level meter, gave a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 85%. CONCLUSION The screening test will be useable, if we only want to estimate the global noise pollution in workplaces.