Question

In Unit III, you sent a document in which you informed management at Gemstone Fabricators, INC. that it would need to enhance its accountability specifications in it's performance evaluations for managers. You also pointed out the need to make sure that employees who have been asked to be involved in the safety endeavors at Gemstone understand and are trained in the roles they are expected to play.

Cindy is the plant manager from Gemstone, and she has asked you to perform a sound level survey and noise dosimetry in the fabrication shop, which can get pretty noisy when all three mechanical power presses and the 12-foot shear are running at the same time for several hours a day. She also asked that you identify noise level exposures in the adjacent welding department. Your results indicate that the noise levels in the area are just above OSHA permissible exposure level for an average day in the fabrication department.

The welding department is adjacent to the fabrication department, and there is no separating wall. The welding operations are not quite as noisy, although the crackle of a well-adjusted MIG welder can be rather loud when welding mild steel. Noise monitoring and dosimetry of the welders indicated an exposure of just over OSHA's Action Level of 85 Dba. In addition, you remember taking the survey readings and watching the noise level jump in the welding shop every time the power presses or shear cycled in the fabrication area.

After consulting with fellow industrial hygienists, it was determined that setting up a 12' x 30' noise barrier wall between the fabrication area and the welding area and adding noise absorption panels to both sides of the barrier wall and to the white-painted concrete walls in the fabrication department would decrease the sound levels in the welding area to several decibels below OSHA's Action Level.

Of course, these engineering controls will cost $33,000 dollars. This is compared to a continuing hearing conservation program to include annual audiograms, or hearing tests, annual training, and providing noise protection for the welding department which is estimated to cost $9,000 per year. This amount would be saved each year if the engineering controls are installed.

If the company takes out a loan for $33,000 at 5% interest, what will be the payback period be for the loan? What would be your recommendation to the employer with respect to the options available? Show work and make sure to justify your reasoning and that you consider the hierarchy of controls in your discussion

Formula: P= F(1 + i) -n

Answer 1

Answer:

For the Noise issue resolution in the welding area due to the press area is by having a wall of the given dimension so that the noise level of the welding area will be much lower than the given 85 db levels which is a requirements as per OSHA standard.

Expense - Company takes a loan of $33000 @ 5% rate of interest annually.

Saving - Company takes the financial benefits as $9000 per year due to avoid of noise protection activities in the work place.

The payback period will be five years of time.

Refer the increase in loan amount with the given rate of interest and the saving cumulative for each year. The saving in the fifth year will cross the expense amount. Thus in the fifth year, this investment will bring the payback for the company for the given welding wall investments.

Year	Amount	Rate	Interest	Amount
1	33000	5%	0	33000
2	33000	5%	1650	34650
3	34650	5%	1733	36383
4	36382.5	5%	1819	38202
5	38201.63	5%	1910	40112
6	40111.71	5%	2006	42117
6	42117.29	5%	2106	44223

Year	Amount	Cumulative Amount
1	9000	9000
2	9000	18000
3	9000	27000
4	9000	36000
5	9000	45000
6	9000	54000
7	9000	63000

Recommendation to the employer with respect to the options available: The option of welding wall installation to avoid the noise entry in welding area and comply with OSHA standards is the right approach.

• The company can continue to explore similar options in the work place for noise reduction, so that it will help the company to comply with the OSHA standard requirement and helpful for employees working in the work place.
• The management of the company should be willing to consider for noise reduction in the work place and help the employees to suffer the noise issues and avoid any potential future disability among the employees due to higher noise levels in the work place.
• This implementation of noise control will improve the working culture at the organization.