Cabinet making industry
Noise in the cabinet making industry
Typical noise sources
Noise control measures
Noise in the cabinet making industry
The variety of wood working, finishing machines and power tools has grown tremendously in the cabinet making industry over the last few decades. This growth has also brought with it steadily increasing noise levels in the workplace.
Most of us can relate to the whining noise of a circular saw bench or planer. As such, the noise from wood working machines and power tools may well pose a hazard to the hearing abilities of people in the cabinet making industry. This is particularly true where shifts involve working hours in excess of eight hours.
Noise levels from a variety of wood working machines, staple and nail guns are well above 85dB(A) and generally range between 90 and 105dB(A) at operator positions.
Impulsive type noises, such as from staple or nail guns, generally cause peak levels up to 125dB (higher noise levels are possible). Because of the impulsive nature of this noise and the way our ears operate, impulsive noise is potentially more hazardous to hearing than machine noise.
An added problem is that items such as for instance circular saws, planers and routers or air-driven tools create dominant high frequency noise which often is tonal as well. Because of this, and the high noise levels involved, further reduction of exposure is required.
Typical noise sources
Some typical noise sources at operator ear level in a cabinet making workshop include:
| Circular saw | 91 – 99dB(A) |
| Band edger | 85 – 88dB(A) |
| Spindle moulder | 90 – 91dB(A) |
| Staple gun | 117 – 125dB(C)peak |
Noise control measures
As with all risk exposures in the workplace, risk management must be applied through a hierarchy of control measures, i.e. elimination, substitution, engineering and/or administrative controls, and as a last resort, (or as an interim measure!), reliance on protective equipment.
Noise from cabinet making machines should, wherever possible, be controlled through engineering and/or administrative noise control measures.
Controls include:
- provide machine enclosures (i.e. multispindle moulding machines). These kinds of machines can, once they have been set up properly, run quite well fully enclosed with acoustically treated feed in and feed out tunnels on either end. Noise reductions of up to 30dB(A) can be achieved this way.
- keep machines and equipment in top condition through regular and preventative maintenance. Noise reductions of between 3 - 8dB(A) can be achieved this way.
- reduce vibration and whining noise in circular saws by cutting vibration damping slots in the blades. Saw blades used in circular saws tend to ring when cutting through material, causing a high pitched whine. The ring is caused by vibration of the blade due to the shock waves from the cutting teeth.
- provide suitable hearing protectors to workers.
Last updated July 27, 2005