Monitoring the influence of road traffic noise on the acoustic climate at workstations

In many cases road traffic noise is indicated by workers as one of the basic factors of noxious work at office workstations, so it is essential to estimate it. The aim of this study was to devise a method of traffic noise exposure assessment at workstations based on noise indicators measurements or calculations.Three noise indicators were defined as essential for prediction of traffic noise level at office workstations. They were as follows: an indicator of noise evaluation outside the building, an indicator of acoustic energy transmission through the walls of the building and an indicator of noise evaluation at the workstation inside the building (calculated from first two indicators above). The measurement methods of these indicators were proposed and verified based on traffic noise measurements at 1296 office workstations. It was concluded from the results that at more than 50% of considered workstations traffic noise levels exceeded admissible levels. Afterwards a computer program with a database for traffic noise hazard evaluation at workstations was designed. This study contains also useful guidelines for reducing traffic noise level at workstations in different ways.