OSHA Noise Standards and FIRST Events

[OScubed]

About setting standards for sound levels at events. According to data gathered at nationals most of the field suffered sound levels that were so loud that they violated OSHA standards AVERAGE of over 90dba for hours at a time for both days of the event. Not only are these sound levels dangerous for hearing, and uncomfortable except with ear protection, but frankly they drive spectators away, make it difficult for team cheers to be heard, and in general detract from the event. OSHA standards state that sound pressure of more than 90dba should not be sustained without hearing protection for more than a couple hours. I do not think that the solution to this issue is "wear earplugs". The solution is "set standards, and a measurement and enforcement system that enforces those standards".

My feeling is that FIRST - as the sponsoring organization should be in charge of setting event standards for volume levels, which the regionals and the company in charge of putting on the event for the nationals would be required to comply with. They should have the proper equipment on hand, and a formal system for addressing excessive noise complaints at each regional. I've heard form a number of people that FIRST officials were the ones to tell the event sound people to "pump up the volume".

So my question is - what is the best method for addressing this within the FIRST organization itself, and any suggestions for proposing standards that make sense. I'd appreciate advice on who to contact (preferably someone on the FIRST safety staff as this is truly a safety issue).

[Billfred]

Lee,

In the absence of a better starting point, I'd suggest trying FRC Team Support (frcteams@usfirst.org). They might be able to point you in the right direction.

[David Brinza]

How about telling a FIRST Safety Adviser?

Seems like this falls into their jurisdiction, you know, the S in OSHA!!

Guys like David Straub are good at their job and will protect FIRST participants and fans from unsafe conditions. They tend to spend most of their time in the pits and behind the fields, so they may not have been exposed to the audio for the stands.

I'm relatively unaffected by the sound levels (maybe it was that airport job?), but I see a lot of people with earplugs around the field.

BTW, I'm not quite ready to change my sig to "What'd you say??"

[OScubed]

Although this can be addressed on an event-by-event basis I'd rather see it addressed from the top down. Spectators/mentors/students/parents shouldn't have to complain at each event if standards are set properly. Is Dave a national level FIRST official and if so, do you have contact info for him?

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by OScubed

Although this can be addressed on an event-by-event basis I'd rather see it addressed from the top down. Spectators/mentors/students/parents shouldn't have to complain at each event if standards are set properly. Is Dave a national level FIRST official and if so, do you have contact info for him?

He was lead? safety advisor in a couple of the SoCal Regionals and I saw him in the pits in Atlanta. I might be able to find his contact info through our regional director or local FTA.

Alternatively, you might pose your question in the FIRST Q&A forum for "FIRST Safety" under "Section 3 At the Events..." FIRST generally responds quickly to questions posted there and the answers reflect official FIRST policy.

[Mike Martus]

AS part of Team 47 Safety process we did sound levels at the regionals as well as the Championship.

Sounds levels in the pits at the regionals ( Detroit and Great Lakes ) were 70-85. On the field and in front of the stands it jumped to 90 and a spike as high as 100.

It was a different story at the Championship.

Pit levels were 80 - 85 - not to bad...

However on the field (I had a media pass to use the video camera) levels were 92 - 95 all the time + and spiked at 120 during announcements and play by play.

Levels in the stands were a little lower but not by much.

My team passed out ear plugs but there were few takers.

I know my ears were ringing real bad. I cannot imagine being on the floor all the hours the crews were.

YES this needs to be brought to the attention of FIRST. I made a special effort to keep the safety persons involved and they said it would be addressed.

If FIRST is REALLY committed to safety in all aspects - and I am sure they are this needs to be addressed.

[Rick TYler]

From the House Ear Institute:

MEASUREMENTS THAT DETERMINE WHICH SOUNDS CAUSE NIHL:

Sound pitch or frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). Although the human ear collects sounds ranging from 100-20,000 Hz, it amplifies the 2-5 kHz frequency range where much of the important speech information registers. The intensity of sound or sound pressure level (SPL) is measured in decibels (dB). For example, normal conversation is measured at a moderate noise level of 50-70 decibels (dB), while the extreme noise level of a rock concert might be measured at 110-130 decibels (dB). Because the auditory system does not have a limiting mechanism to prevent dangerous amounts of acoustic energy from being transmitted to the inner ear, over-exposure to high intensity sound is a leading cause of damage to nerve cells. Sounds above 85 dB may cause permanent hearing loss. Some examples of loud noises that can cause NIHL are:

Motorcycle/Hair dryer/Lawn mower/Leaf blower - 85-90 dB
Wood shop/Chainsaw/Firecrackers (small) - 100-110 dB
Rock concerts - 110-130 dB
Pneumatic drill/Ambulance Siren/Jet take off - 119-140 dB

EFFECTS OF NIHL:

When damage first occurs, it usually affects the part of the ear corresponding to the higher frequencies of the voice range at 4 kHz, creating a "noise notch." These frequencies respond to many of the consonant sounds and a person with this type of hearing loss may have trouble understanding speech. Hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus - a ringing, buzzing or fluttering in one or both of the ears. Sometimes exposure to impulse or continuous noise may cause only temporary hearing loss. Temporary hearing loss is called a temporary threshold shift. The temporary threshold shift usually disappears within 16 hours after exposure to loud noise.

WARNING SIGNS:

Temporary threshold shift
Ear discomfort after exposure
Ringing or buzzing in ears
Difficulty hearing in noise

EVIDENCE OF OVER-EXPOSURE:

Tinnitus or head noise
Hypersensitivity
Loss of sensitivity
High frequency hearing loss

WHEN NOISE BECOMES A HAZARD:

Prolonged duration of exposure
Intensity of signal
Repeated exposure
Individual susceptibility

TIPS FOR PREVENTING NIHL:

Avoid hazardous sound environments
Use hearing protection whenever possible
Monitor sound at 90 dB
Take 15-minute "quiet" breaks every few hours
Move away from electronic speakers

SAFE SOUND LEVELS:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set guidelines for the maximum length of time a person can be exposed to continuous sound levels, beginning at 90 dB and not exceeding 105 dB.

Sound Level Duration per Day

90 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 hours
91.5 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 hours
93 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 hours
94.5 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 hours
96 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 hours
97.5 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1/2 hours
99 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 hour
102 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1/2 hour
105 dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1/4 hour or less
105+dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . extreme risk

[robostangs548]

I mean, isn't that all part of the fun, i think that it is pretty awesome working under a ton of pressure with the "hype" up music blaring in the background and the crouds cheering.... I would have to say, that without the loud music, the competitions would be much less interesting....

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by robostangs548

I mean, isn't that all part of the fun, i think that it is pretty awesome working under a ton of pressure with the "hype" up music blaring in the background and the crouds cheering.... I would have to say, that without the loud music, the competitions would be much less interesting....

It'll be much less interesting in 20 years when you can't hear anything.

[Eugene Fang]

I dont know if this is true for the other fields, but on Curie, the music/commentary wasn't too bad. However, the field sounds (like the starting sound, bell, ending buzzer, etc) were VERY loud. I think it was worse in the stands than on the competition floor because the bottom of the J shaped speakers point right at the front row of seats.

[SmartAlek]

Are you talking about the sound level in the pit area or out where the fields were?

I honestly think it would be too difficult to try to control the volume in the pits. You could barely hear the Pit Admins announcements. So I think it would be safe to guess that most of the sound came from people working on robots and talking. And I find it hard to imagine Safety people walking around from pit to pit asking people to keep their voices down or to stop using noisy tools on their robots...

[Ashley Christine]

I would say I noticed that some of the fields were pretty loud (from in the stands) but when I was down on the field it was no where near as loud, it might be from how they set up the speakers. On Saturday my aunt and uncle came to visit and after about 15 min of watching their first robotics competition they both requested that we go elsewhere because their ears just couldn't take the loud noise. I agree, this does need to be addressed! (maybe better monitors on the fields?) And it was disappointing that you couldn't hear team cheers!!

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Ashley Christine

I would say I noticed that some of the fields were pretty loud (from in the stands) but when I was down on the field it was no where near as loud, it might be from how they set up the speakers. On Saturday my aunt and uncle came to visit and after about 15 min of watching their first robotics competition they both requested that we go elsewhere because their ears just couldn't take the loud noise. I agree, this does need to be addressed! (maybe better monitors on the fields?) And it was disappointing that you couldn't hear team cheers!!

Yeah, I've noticed that. On the field, you can't hear anything...the speakers are aimed away from the field. I've had people leave after a few minutes, too.

Put some monitors out in the crowd with volunteers. That'll give you better data than having them on the field. 1-3 volunteers with monitors...

[JYang]

Working as a translator for an FLL team, the sound level was def. very high on the Einstein field. The team could barely hear what the translators were saying and just talking to the refs on the other side of the table you had to shout. I don't think that's good for the ears or the throat.

On the other hand, the noise level in the pits (FLL and FRC) were fine. Overall, the sound is keeping the spirit up in the stands but it can be toned down a lot. Surely the event can still be fun with noise levels that our grandmothers can withstand all day right?

[Sean Schuff]

Originally Posted by robostangs548

I mean, isn't that all part of the fun, i think that it is pretty awesome working under a ton of pressure with the "hype" up music blaring in the background and the crouds cheering.... I would have to say, that without the loud music, the competitions would be much less interesting....

Add to all that noise the high school students are exposed to the fact that a large number of them drive around in vehicles with sound systems that make a 747 at takeoff sound like a whisper and you've got a recipe for disaster - in 20 years as Billfred alluded to.

I, too, was a bit put off by how loud things were in the dome. The noise from other fields resonating inside was also quite distracting. Sometimes the commentary from the field I was watching was overshadowed by an emcee introducing teams on another. Not so much fun.

I'll be investing in Miracle Ear this week! Not for me. I just have a feeling in 20 years there will be a huge demand!