Final answer:
Daily or weekly personal noise exposure (LEP,d or LEP,w) is assessed to prevent hearing damage. Exposure to 85 dB should not exceed 8 hours daily without hearing protection, as higher levels can cause severe damage or even immediate pain and ear drum bursting with brief exposure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating daily (LEP,d) or weekly (LEP,w) personal noise exposure levels is a critical aspect of occupational health and safety. Exposure to noise at work can cause irreversible hearing damage. Several government agencies and professional associations recommend limiting exposure to 85 dB for no more than 8 hours per day when not using hearing protection. Prolonged or repeated exposure even to moderately loud environments like the inside of a heavy truck can cause damage over time.
For example, exposure to a noisy factory or a siren at 30 meters can lead to hearing damage from just 8 hours of exposure per day. More intense noise levels, such as attending a loud rock concert or being close to a pneumatic chipper, can result in the threshold of pain, with damage possible from mere 30 minutes of exposure daily. Extremely high levels, such as a jet airplane at 30 meters, can cause severe pain and immediate damage within seconds, and exposure to 140 dB or more can lead to the bursting of eardrums.
To protect workers, it is important to assess the noise levels in a work environment and to implement hearing conservation programs, including the provision of hearing protection and adequate breaks from noise exposure.