Schedule XXVI

OPERATIONS INVOLVING HIGH NOISE LEVELS

1. Application-This Schedule shall apply to all operations in any manufacturing processes which

have high noise levels.

2. Definitions-For the purpose of this Schedule-

(a) "A-weighting" means making graded adjustments in the intensities of sound of various

frequencies for the purpose of noise measurement, so that the sound pressure level

measured by an instrument reflects the actual response of the human ear to the sound

measured;

(b) "dBA" refers to 'sound level in decibels as measured on a sound level meter operating on

the A-weighting network with slow meter response;

(c) "decibel" means one-tenth of "Bel" which is the fundamental division of a logarithmic scale

used to express the ratio of two specified or implied quantities, the number of "Bels"

denoting such a ratio being the logarithm to the base of 10 of this ratio. The noise level

(or the sound pressure level) corresponds to reference pressure of 6 x 10-6 N/m2 or 0.0002

dynes per square centimeter which is the threshold of hearing, that is, the lowest sound

pressure level necessary to produce the sensation of hearing in average healthy listeners.

The decibel in abbreviated form is dB;

(((ddd))) """fffiiirrrsssttt eeemmmpppllloooyyymmmeeennnttt""" ssshhhaaallllll mmmeeeaaannn fffiiirrrsssttt eeemmmpppllloooyyymmmeeennnttt iiinnn aaarrreeeaaasss wwwhhheeerrreee ttthhheee nnnoooiiissseee eeexxxccceeeeeedddsss ttthhheee

mmaaxxiimmuumm ppeerrmmiissssiibbllee eexxppoossuurree lleevveellss ssppeecciiffiieedd iinn ssuubb-ppaarraaggrraapphh ((11)) ooff ppaarraaggrraapphh 33 aanndd

sshhaallll aallssoo iinncclluuddee rree-eemmppllooyymmeenntt iinn tthhee ssaaiidd aarreeaass ffoolllloowwiinngg aannyy cceessssaattiioonn ooff eemmppllooyymmeenntt

ffoorr aa ccoonnttiinnuuoouuss- period exceeding three calendar months;

(((eee))) """fffrrreeeqqquuueeennncccyyy""" iiisss ttthhheee rrraaattteee ooofff ppprrreeessssssuuurrreee vvvaaarrriiiaaatttiiiooonnnsss eeexxxppprrreeesssssseeeddd iiinnn cccyyycccllleeesss pppeeerrr ssseeecccooonnnddd ooorrr hhheeerrrtttzzz;;;

(f) "high noise leevveell"" mmeeaannss aannyy nnooiissee lleevveell mmeeaassuurreedd oonn tthhee AA-wweeiigghhtteedd ssccaallee iiss 9900 ddBB oorr

above; and

((gg)) ''nnooiissee"" mmeeaannss aannyy uunnwwaanntteedd ssoouunndd..

3.PPrrootteeccttiioonn aaggaaiinnsstt nnooiissee- ((11)) IInn eevveerryy ffaaccttoorryy,, ssuuiittaabbllee eennggiinneeeerriinngg ccoonnttrrooll aaddmmiinniissttrraattiivvee

measures shall be taken to ensureee,,, sssooo fffaaarrr aaasss iiisss rrreeeaaasssooonnnaaabbblllyyy ppprrraaaccctttiiicccaaabbbllleee,,, ttthhhaaattt nnnooo wwwooorrrkkkeeerrr iiisss eeexxxpppooossseeeddd tttooo sssooouuunnnddd

llleeevvveeelllsss eeexxxccceeeeeedddiiinnnggg ttthhheee mmmaaaxxxiiimmmuuummm pppeeerrrmmmiiissssssiiibbbllleee nnnoooiiissseee eeexxxpppooosssuuurrreee llleeevvveeelllsss ssspppeeeccciiifffiiieeeddd iiinnn TTTaaabbbllleeesss 111 aaannnddd 222...

TABLE 1

PPPEEERRRMMMIIISSSSSSIIIBBBLLLEEE EEEXXXPPPOOOSSSUUURRREEE IIINNN CCCAAASSSEEESSS OOOFFF CCCOOONNNTTTIIINNNUUUOOOUUUSSS NNNOOOIIISSSEEE

TToottaall ttiimmee ooff eexxppoossuurree ((ccoonnttiinnuuous or a number of short- SSoouunndd pprreessssuurreess lleevveell iinn ddBBAA

tteerrmm eexxppoossuurree)) ppeerr ddaayy,, iinn hhoouurrss

8 9900

6 9922

4 9955

3 9977

2 110000

1--1/2 110022

1 110055

¾¾ 110077

½½ 111100

¼¼ 111155

Notes-((11)) NNoo eexxppoossuurree iinn eexxcceessss ooff 111155 ddBBRR iiss ttoo bbee ppeerrmmiitttteedd..

((22)) FFoorr aannyy ppeerriioodd ooff eexxppoossuurree ffaalllliinngg iinn bbeettwweeeenn aannyy ffiigguurree aanndd tthhee nneexxtt hhiigghheerr oorr lloowweerr ffiigguurree aass

iiinnndddiiicccaaattteeeddd iiinnn cccooollluuummmnnn 111,,, ttthhheee pppeeerrrmmmiiissssssiiibbbllleee sssooouuunnnddd ppprrreeessssssuuurrreee llleeevvveeelll iiisss tttooo bbbeee dddeeettteeerrrmmmiiinnneeeddd bbbyyy eeexxxtttrrraaapppooolllaaatttiiiooonnn ooonnn aaa

proportionate basis.

TABLE 2

PPPEEERRRMMMIIISSSSSSIIIBBBLLLEEE EEEXXXPPPOOOSSSUUURRREEE LLLEEEVVVEEELLLSSS OOOFFF IIIMMMPPPLLLOOOSSSIIIVVVEEE OOORRR IIIMMMPPPAAACCCTTT NNNOOOIIISSSE

PPeeaakk ssoouunndd pprreessssuurree lleevveell iinn ddBB PPeerrmmiitttteedd nnuummbbeerr ooff iimmppuullsseess oorr iimmppaaccttss ppeerr ddaayy

140 100

135 315

130 1000

125 3160

120 10000

Notes- (((111))) NNNooo eeexxxpppooosssuuurrreee iiinnn eeexxxccceeessssss ooofff 111444000 dddBBB pppeeeaaakkk sssooouuunnnddd ppprrreeessssssuuurrreee llleeevvveeelll iiisss pppeeerrrmmmiiitttttteeeddd...

((22)) FFoorr aannyy ppeeaakk ssoouunndd pprreessssuurree lleevveell ffaalllliinngg iinn bbeettwweeeenn aannyy ffiigguurree aanndd tthhee nneexxtt hhiigghheerr oorr lloowweerr

fffiiiggguuurrreee aaasss iiinnndddiiicccaaattteeeddd iiinnn CCCooollluuummmnnn 111,,, ttthhheee pppeeerrrmmmiiitttttteeeddd nnnuuummmbbbeeerrr ooofff iiimmmpppuuulllssseeesss ooorrr iiimmmpppaaaccctttsss pppeeerrr dddaaayyy iiisss tttooo bbbeee dddeeettteeerrrmmmiiinnneeeddd

bbyy eexxttrraappoollaattiioonn oonn aa pprrooppoorrttiioonnaattee bbaassiiss..

((33)) FFoorr tthhee ppuurrppoosseess ooff tthhiiss SScchheedduullee,, iiff tthhee vvaarriiaattiioonnss iinn tthhee nnooiissee lleevveell iinnvvoollvvee mmaaxxiimmaa aatt

iiinnnttteeerrrvvvaaalllsss ooofff ooonnneee ssseeecccooonnnddd ooorrr llleeessssss,,, ttthhheee nnnoooiiissseee iiisss tttooo bbbeee cccooonnnsssiiidddeeerrreeeddd aaasss aaa cccooonnntttiiinnnuuuooouuusss ooonnneee aaannnddd ttthhheee cccrrriiittteeerrriiiaaa gggiiivvveeennn iiinnn

TTTaaabbbllleee 111 wwwooouuulllddd aaapppppplllyyy... IIInnn ooottthhheeerrr cccaaassseeesss,,, ttthhheee nnnoooiiissseee iiisss tttooo bbbeee cccooonnnsssiiidddeeerrreeeddd aaasss iiimmmpppuuulllsssiiivvveee ooorrr iiimmmpppaaacccttt nnnoooiiissseee aaannnddd ttthhhe

ccrriitteerriiaa ggiivveenn iinn TTaabbllee 22 wwoouulldd aappppllyy..

(((444))) WWWhhheeennn ttthhheee dddaaaiiilllyyy nnnoooiiissseee eeexxxpppooosssuuurrreee iiisss cccooommmpppooossseeeddd ooofff tttwwwooo ooorrr mmmooorrreee pppeeerrriiiooodddsss ooofff nnnoooiiissseee eeexxxpppooosssuuurrreee aaattt

dddiiiffffffeeerrreeennnttt llleeevvveeelllsss ttthhheeeiiirrr cccooommmbbbiiinnneeeddd eeeffffffeeecccttt ssshhhooouuulllddd bbbeee cccooonnnsssiiidddeeerrreeeddd,,, rrraaattthhheeerrr ttthhhaaannn ttthhheee iiinnndddiiivvviiiddduuuaaalll eeeffffffeeecccttt ooofff eeeaaaccchhh... TTThhheee

mixed exposure shooouuulllddd bbbeee cccooonnnsssiiidddeeerrreeeddd tttooo eeexxxccceeeeeeddd ttthhheee llliiimmmiiittt vvvaaallluuueee iiifff ttthhheee sssuuummm ooofff ttthhheee fffrrraaaccctttiiiooonnn excess

unity-

wwhheerree tthhee CC11,, CC22,, eettcc.. iinnddiiccaatteess tthhee ttoottaall ttiimmee oorr aaccttuuaall eexxppoossuurree aatt aa ssppeecciiffiieedd nnooiissee lleevveell aanndd TT11,,

TT22,, eettcc.. ddeennoottee tthhee ttiimmee ooff eexxppoossuurree ppeerrmmiissssiibbllee aatt tthhaatt lleevveell.. NNooiissee- eexxppoossuurree ooff lleessss tthhaann 9900 ddBBAA mmaayy bbee

ignored in the above calculation.

(5) Where it is not possible to reduce the noise exposure to the levels specified in sub-rule (1) by

reasonably practicable engineering control or administrative measure, the noise exposure shall be reduced

to the greatest extent feasible by such control measures and each worker so exposed shall be provided with

suitable ear protectors so as to reduce the exposure to noise to the levels specified in sub-rule (1).

(6) Where the ear protectors provided in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) and worn by a worker

cannot still attenuate the noise reaching near his ear, as determined by subtracting the attenuation value in

dBA of the ear protectors concerned from the measured sound pressure level, to a level permissible under

Table 1 or Table 2 as the case may be, the noise exposure period shall be suitably reduced to correspond to

the permissible noise exposure specified in sub-paragraph (1).

(7) (a) In all cases where the prevailing sound levels exceeds the permissible levels specified in sub-

paragraph (1) there shall be administered an effective hearing conservation programme which shall include

among other hearing conservation measures, pre-employment and periodical auditory surveys conducted on

workers exposed to noise exceeding the permissible levels, and rehabilitation of such workers either by

reducing the exposure to the noise levels or by transferring them to places where noise levels are relatively

less or by any other suitable means.

(b) Every worker employed in areas where the noise exceeds the maximum permissible exposure

levels specified in sub-rule (1) shall be subjected to an auditory examination by a Factory medical officer

within 14 days of his first employment and thereafter, shall be re-examined at least once in every 12

months. Such initial and periodical examinations shall include tests which the Factory medical officer may

consider appropriate, and shall include determination of auditory thresholds for pure tones of 125, 250, 500,

1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 cycles per second.