Optimum protection for construction workers with Hüdig Whisper sound attenuation

Construction, with its powerful machinery, is one of the noisiest industries around- Every day, more than 10 million construction workers are exposed to roaring noise. However, construction site noise is not only loud, it can also be hazardous to hearing. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 14% of all construction workers have significant hearing problems due to work-related noise.

The National Institute for Occupational Safefty and Health (NIOSH) sets a limit of 85 decibels (dBA) - the unit used to measure sound intensity - as the recommended limit for workplace exposure. Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 dBA or higher can cause hearing damage and increase the risk of hearing loss.

Construction workers are at high risk because the equipment they regularly use is above the NIOSH limit. Forklifts emit noise as high as 90 dBA, while hammer drills reach 120 dBA. Even electricians, considered one of the quieter occupations, are in environments above 85 dBA. In many construction occupations, workers operate above the limit during 70% of their shifts. Despite these hazards, construction workers report wearing hearing protection less than 20% of the time. If loud noise poses such a great risk, why aren't workers protecting their ears? One main reason is that workers often don't realize the risk. While sound levelsin construction are not as obvious as in industries such as forestry or oil, most sounds on the jobsite are in the 80-90 dBA range - a level that, while not immediatly painful, can have long-term effects on hearing. To illustrate how loud construction site noise really is, and to help ensure safety on the job site, the following infographic shows a scale of comparsion between common construction noise and everyday noise, and provides an overview of average decibels and limits for construction occupations.

Our vacuum-assisted dewatering units already operate at relatively low noise levels relative to the spectrumpresent on construction sites. With the innovative Whisper concept, we have developeda high-quality sound insulation hood that allows our products to operate particularly quietly. For the diesel-powered HC522 and HC551 series, we thus achieve values of less than 60 dBA at 10m, and in the electric pump range we even drop to less than 50 dBA an 10m. This is our contribution to better protection of workers.