[Evaluation of risk and acoustic damage in a department of metallic carpentry].

A study was performed in a ten-years period (1980-1990) inside a metallic carpentry department. We carried out noise level measurements: equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (Leq), personal dosimetry, reverberation time. During the studied period, operation schedule and noise therefore did not change. According our results it appeared a high noisy level (mean Leq 88.3; 89.7) by a fluctuating noise within a building structure with high reverberation time (5 sec.). All employees were young (mean age = 32 years old) and equipped with suitable acoustic protection means: protecting covers with a good lowering of noise level in octave band included between 1 KHz-8 KHz. Audiometry showed a slight worsening among the exposed workers with more seniority and the aged.