6
Acoustic levels and dust emission
People working in most woodworking shops are likely to have a noise exposure that exceeds the
upper exposure action value of 85 dB. This means that you must put noise controls in place.
There are several ways in which noise levels can be reduced in a workshop, such as:
- Consider the positioning of sources of noise such as machines, the extraction unit, radios etc.
- Provide enclosures around noisy machines.
- Ensure machines and the extraction is well maintained.
- Change to quieter tooling
If noise levels are still too high after you have done all you can to reduce the noise at source, you need
to provide hearing protection and make sure operators use it. Hearing protection will only provide the
right level of protection if it is worn properly and for the whole time that users are exposed to high
noise levels.
Hearing protection should at least reduce the sound level reaching the ear to below 85 dB. However,
you should not try to reduce the level at the ear to below 70 dB, as this can cause difficulties with
communication and operators may not hear warning signals.
NOISE INFORMATION
The values given are the emission levels; these are not necessary the levels at which the operator can
work safely. Whilst there is a correlation between the emission and the explosion levels, this cannot be
used reliably to determine if further protections are required. Factors that influence the actual level of
exposure of the workforce include the characteristics of the work room, the other sources of noise, etc.
i.e. the number of machines and other adjacent processes. Also, the permissible exposure level can
vary from country to country. This information, however, will enable the user of the machine to make a
better evaluation of the hazard and risk
Measurements as per EN ISO 3746:2010 and EN ISO 11202:2010.
LWA sound power level: 98 dB (measured value); associated uncertainty K = 4 Db.
DUST EMISSION VALUES
The machine produces dust and must therefore always be connected to an extraction system.
Good chips and dust extraction can be obtained with the following recommended airflow: q in m³h-1
for the diameter of the saw blade, d, in mm:
d ≤ 315: q ≥ 850 315˂d ˂ 400: q ≥1100 d≥ 400: q ≥1400
The pressure drop between the inlet of all collection devices and the connection to the chip and dust
extraction system must not exceed 1500 Pa (at air speed in the channels of 20 m s-1)
To ensure that the chips and dust that are extracted are transported from the point of origin
to the collection system, the design of the hoods and ducts must be based on a transport
speed of extracted air in the 20 m s-1 channel for dry chips and 28m s-1 for wet chips
(humidity 18% or higher)
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