| Objective. Over the last 40 years dairy farms have decreased greatly in numbers, but have at the same time increased herd size 6.5 times, leading to fewer cows on pasture and more cows in confinement. This change has increased the use of noisy equipment. In order to evaluate this change, a noise assessment was conducted in a confinement dairy barn focusing on the noise generated by the skid loader. Methods. Noise was assessed for three separate weeks, once each during cold, mild, and hot weather. Area sampling was conducted in the barn and skid loader at a height approximating the hearing zone, using dosimeters. Sound level measurements were also collected around the skid loader along with octave band analyses. Results. Assuming the area samples were indicative of personal samples, noise from them the skid loader did not exceed the OSHA-PEL during the study. However, the OSHA Ceiling was exceeded 35% of the days monitored and the ACGIH peak level was exceeded 80% of the days monitored. No workers in the barn reported or were observed wearing hearing protection. Conclusions . Noise exposures in the barn could potentially have exceeded the allowable limits and recommendations set by OSHA and ACGIH/NIOSH. The workers in this confinement dairy barn have the potential for experiencing noise induced hearing loss. |
