1. Noise definitions
The first ambiguity that characterizes the notion of noise arises from its very definition.
According to the authors, noise is both a physical and a subjective phenomenon, the latter in the perceptual as well as the cultural sense.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines noise as "sound that is generally random in character, with no well-defined components".
In the classic works (Larousse, Robert), noise is defined in reference to music, which, from the perspective of working conditions, would be hard to justify: "a set of sounds without harmony", "a phenomenon due to a superposition of various non-harmonic vibrations", or "that which, in what is perceived in the ear (sic), is not felt as musical sound".
Only the Anglo-Saxons deliberately...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
This article is included in
Noise and vibration
This offer includes:
Knowledge Base
Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees
Services
A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources
Practical Path
Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills
Doc & Quiz
Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading
Noise definitions
Auditory effects of noise
Bibliography
Economic data
It's impossible to put a global figure on the cost of noise. All we can do is provide a few benchmarks for estimating the possible economic impact.
-
Health
Estimates dating from 1978-1980 put the cost of noise-related problems at over 30 billion francs (around 4.5 billion euros):
11% of workplace accidents...
Regulations
Arrêté du 12 août 1975 Méthode de mesure des niveaux sonores en milieu de travail en vue de la protection de l'audition (JORF of October 12, 1975, page 10560)
Decree no. 63-405 of April 10, 1963 amending decree no. 46-2959 of December 31, 1946 (JORF of April 20, 1963, page 3693)
Decree no. 81-507 of May 4, 1981 revising and supplementing the tables of occupational diseases...
Standardization
- Évaluation de l'exposition au bruit en milieu professionnel et estimation du déficit auditif, induit par le bruit, de populations exposées (indice de classement : 31-013). - NF S31-013 - 04-85
- Acoustics – Determination of occupational noise exposure and estimation of noise-induced hearing damage. - ISO 1999:1990 - 01-90
- Acoustics – Environmental noise characterization and measurement – Application of standard...
Organizations
Center d'information et de documentation sur le bruit (CIDB) : http://www.bruit.fr
Service de Documentation de l'Institut national de recherche et de sécurité INRS : http://www.inrs.fr
International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
