Road freight transport industry
Noise road freight transport industry
Typical noise sources
Noise control measures
Noise road freight transport industry
Traditionally, trucks have been noisy due to their construction and the fact that the majority of trucks are equipped with diesel engines. With the exception of modern long haul rigs, trucks are primarily functional rather than comfortable despite the long hours spent in trucks by the drivers.
Diesel engines produce higher noise emissions due to their system of combustion requiring high compression ratios to ignite the fuel mixture and the metal on metal impact of the injectors.
Truck drivers typically work longer than a normal eight hour shift with ten to twelve hour shifts or more being quite common. Prolonged exposures to noise may cause anxiety, stress, fatigue, and hearing damage.
In addition, exposure to noise such as from in-cabin communication systems and from wind, exhaust systems and other traffic through open driver side windows may cause more pronounced hearing loss in the right ear than the left ear.
Cabin noise reduction is an important issue as it directly relates to driver safety and that of other road users.
Typical noise sources
Some typical noise sources at operator ear level in the road freight transport industry include:
| Engine and wind noise | 83 - 88dB(A) |
| Parking brake noise | 97 - 103.5dB(A) |
| Airstarter noise | 100dB(A) |
| Two-way communication | 85 - 101dB(A) |
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 in the road freight transport industry should, wherever possible, be controlled through engineering and/or administrative noise control measures.
Examples of engineering noise control measures include:
- fiting cabins with air conditioning. This would eliminate the need to drive with the windows open and subsequently reduce noise from communications systems as the volume can be kept lower. An added advantage to this would be a reduction in the incidence of skin cancer of the right arm and shoulder of truck drivers (Australian Cancer Registry, 1993)
- positioning two way communication system speakers for easier hearing at lower volumes
- fitting sound and vibration absorbing materials to reduce engine, gearbox and road noise
- fitting improved exhaust systems on the passenger side of the truck
- fitting silencers to parking brakes and air starters.
Examples of administrative noise control measures include:
- introducing a hearing conservation program .
Where noise control cannot be achieved through these measures, an employer should provide suitable personal hearing protectors as well as proper instruction in their use so that exposed workers can perform their work in a manner that is safe and without risks to their health and safety.
It is critical in this industry that where the use of any hearing protection is deemed necessary, it is selected by a competent health practitioner based on the noise exposure and hearing ability of the individual driver to avoid over-protection (blocking out sound information that must be heard) and thus cause unsafe road conditions.
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