Noise is often regarded as a occupational hazard in many workplaces. But aside from the obligations on owners and managers to provide a safe environment for their colleagues, a noisy workplace is a less than optimally efficient one.
The impact of noise on health
In addition to ear damage, non-reversible tinnitus and loss of hearing, it is long established that excessive noise is a real danger to health. Not only can it cause irritation, loss of concentration and stress but it can also lead to serious long-term conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes. Noise can also be a safety hazard, making it harder for nearby workers to hear alarms and warnings.
All too often, one of the sources of workplace noise is compressors and though larger compressors are often housed in separate compressor rooms to prevent impact on employees, colleagues are often obliged to work close to the compressor and bear with significant noise when it is in operation.
Noise measurement
The most common unit of noise measurement is the decibel (dB), names after the Scots born inventor of both the telephone and the audiometer, Alexander Graham Bell. The higher the decibel measurement, the louder the noise. For example, a quiet office, or a refrigerator, scores around 50dB, while a casual conversation comes in at around 60dB. Typical city traffic noise is around 80dB. It is often not understood that the decibel scale is not linear, so a sound that is 80dB is ten times as intense as one that is 70dB. Each 10dB increment increases the intensity by ten times and sounds twice as loud.
Noise protection at work
Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, UK employers are obliged to assess the risk to worker’s health and provide them with information and training if the noise level is 80 decibels and above.
So, if noise above 80dBA legally requires steps to be taken to mitigate the risks, taking time to select equipment which has low noise from the outset makes sense, as it controls the noise levels at source.
And that is where the Vert compressor range comes into its own:
– With a noise level of 62dB, the innovative Vert Conical Rotary Compressor (CRC) technology minimises noise emissions from moving parts
– Vert compressors offer continuous operation with a 100% duty cycle, so there are no noisy on/off sounds associated with competitor compressors that operate on a 25% or 50% duty cycle
– The inherently balanced technology has very low vibration and therefore there is minimal impact on any surrounding equipment
For more information – and a clearer thinking workforce – get in touch with the Vert team to arrange a demo and hear the difference for yourself
Sales@vertrotors.com