Occupational Noise in Mines and its Control - A Case Study

Abstract

Nowadays, owing to the improvements in technology through greater energy efficiency, higher labour productivity, continuous production methods and operating flexibility, mechanization has also ad vanced rapidly in open and underground pits together with mineral processing plants. In parallel to this improvement, sources of noise and ambient noise at work in the mining industry have shown a noticable increase. In this work, the noise sources and levels encountered in mines, the effects of noise on workers and finally suggestions to reduce these effects are given in details, together with a real case study from mining activities in Turkey.