Excessive sound noise risk assessment in textile mills of an Ethiopian-Kombolcha textile industry share company

Abstract

In countries like Ethiopia, the textile industries are facing a big problem of sound noise pollution. In these countries, the industrial hearing conservation program is not yet clearly developed. Thus, characterizing excessive noise pollutions in textile industries have been the aim of this research project and Kombolcha Textile Mill (KTM) is chosen as the case study. The study is concerned with the noise exposure and its characteristics at the different section of the Textile Mill. Before the actual excessive noise level measurements were collected in the Textile Mill, main areas where measurements were done had to be identified. This was done by prior physical observation and A-Weighted time-averaged sound pressure levels (L_Aeq) survey. More than one hundred walkthrough measurement points were done inside the textile mill. These data were analyzed using MATLAB software packages. Based on our analysis, the spinning and the weaving sections of the mills with its unit processes were identified as potential noise pollution in the factory. On these sections, the measurements were done for 4 – 5 h/d. The instrument used for measurements was a precision integrated portable professional sound level meter. The findings revealed that the KTM employees are working in hazardous environments of above 90 dB, which is the recommended safe limit of noise in the working environment for 8 h used in international standard. As a result an engineering and administration programs which includes different methods of how to control the problem has been recommended for conserving hearing at the KTM.