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TAKING SOUND LEVEL READINGS |
Measuring noise levels One of the first and most important steps in reducing noise and/or adjusting the acoustics of a room or area is the proper and accurate measurement of noise levels. To do this, youll need a quality sound level meter such as those described in this manual. For accurately and consistently recording your sound level readings, we recommend using the ASI Octave Band Analysis Worksheet. Following are recommended procedures for taking sound level readings and using the worksheet.Taking sound level readings: 1. First and foremost: read, understand and follow the operating instructions for the noise level meter you 2. Do not get too close to the noise source. Take reading where the nearest employee stands. 3. If you are measuring the loudness of a specific machine, stand as far away from the machine as the 4. Also, when measuring the sound level of a specific machine, make sure the background noise is at least 5. When taking readings, hold the meter upright at shoulder level, facing away from plane surfaces that can Using the Octave Band Analysis Worksheet 1. This worksheet, shown on the right, is located in the “forms” section of this manual. Use it as a master for 2. Not that the worksheet is set up to allow you to take sound level readings from up to 5 different locations. 3. Start by filling in the top of the worksheet with the client’s company name, the client contact name and the 4. At the bottom of your form, write in a brief description of the location(s) you are going to test. Use clear 5. For each location, the worksheet contains 3 columns. The first column, headed “dB(L)” is where you’ll 6. The center column, headed “+ or dB(A) Weight” is a government standard weighting figure for each of the 7. The third column, headed “Adjusted dB(A)” is where you’ll write in the sum of column 1 and column 2. For NOTE: AUTOMATIC WEIGHT SOUND LEVEL METERS Many sound level meters, including those Quest models in this manual, can automatically perform the dB(A) Weighing calculation when you take the reading. In that case, all you’ll need to do is take the reading and enter it directly into the “Adjusted db(A)” column. See your sound level meter’s operating instructions for further information. |