Frequency-Noise Relation of Mining Machines

Though a normal human can hear sound in 20 Hz – 20000 Hz frequency range, he/she does not detect the same intensity at different frequencies in this interval. Therefore, when determining noise levels for human exposure, the noise frequency should also be taken into consideration. In this study noise measurements were taken and frequency-noise relations extracted from 67 units of mining machinery of different types and models used in six work sites in Sivas and neighbor provinces. According to study results the maximum noise level, to which crawled dozer and wheel loader operators are exposed, fall greatly in the low-frequency range while the others fall into the medium-frequency range. The minimum noise levels, to which all mining equipment operators are exposed, fall into the high-frequency range. It is determined that the maximum noise levels of the mining machines sampled are outside the frequency range to which human ear is most sensitive. The noise that all mining equipment generated is located in the wide frequency range. When the noise levels are classified according to the criteria of change over time, all mining machines are characterized as unsteady.