It really is that loud: industry-related noise
Have you ever wondered about the noise levels in your workplace? Well, the Noise Chap published a list of decibel readings in different industries. The list covers industrial noise that involves heavy equipment. The “Noise Chap” is based in the UK, and he’s an audiometric tester, trainer, and consultant.
His workplace-noise list also includes emergency services like a police car siren, which he measured at 127 decibels. You can filter the list by trade and by equipment, such as a Haffner saw, a fork lift, or a DeWalt DCD925 drill. Every decibel reading is listed in both dB(A) and dB(C) peak — you can learn about the difference between these readings on his site or from other resources like NoiseMeters.
If you work in trades like agriculture, fabrication, car repair, engineering, or construction, take a look at his list and be sure to wear appropriate ear protection. The Noise Chap offers some advice on choosing ear protection. OSHA also publishes a list of guidelines for choosing and wearing hearing protection. And online resellers like Amazon have lots of ear-protection products to choose from. This is where customer reviews come in really handy.