Short- and long-term benefits of noise control programs

Immediate or short-term benefits of industrial noise control and reduction are coupled to estimates of potential technical accomplishments within the current state-of-the-art. Source noise control and reduction within these guidelines are generally small versus the projected gross cost. Manufacturing methods or material processing techniques or machinery which perhaps already demanded de-facto change frequently are the bandwagon auxiliaries that may be included in total cash outflow attributed to industrial noise abatement programs. Long-range benefits are coupled with the basic research and applied research to exploit noise source control advances and furthering the SOA to improve methodology and materials. Some government funding for advancing and implementing this SOA may be required. Rewards for accomplishing these tasks are to decrease and eventually eliminate hearing damage risk, hearing damage per se, hearing effects claims, hearing compensation payments, physiological effects, and to improve work-force morale, overall efficiency, and productivity. Quantification of the effects of administrative and engineering controls, technical feasibility limits for some major noise source problems and total integrated costs balanced with short- and long-range corporate cost estimates will be covered. Estimates of efficiency/productivity versus noise reduction will be presented.