| Pub. Date | :Nov, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of Mechanical Engineering |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJME41911 |
| Author Name | : Kamaljeet Bhambri, Ishbir Singh, Harwinder Singh and Tejeet Singh |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Engineering |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 11 |
Mechanization in India is primarily concentrated in the manufacturing sector, where health and safety of workers is given lowest priority. The small-scale industry is trailing behind in providing health and safety to workers, and more particularly to unprotected occupational noise and the resultant Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). There is a need to assess the occupational health and safety levels at the shop floor of the forging industry. The paper assesses the occupational health and safety practices in forging industry. The sound pressure level was measured by vibration meter (SVAN 958A). The sound pressure level measured at ten sites in the shop floor ranged from 90 db to 120 db. The sound pressure level was found to be above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limit (80 db as recommend for the industry). Audiometric test was conducted for different age groups of forging workers, and it was found out that about 95% suffered from NIHL.
About 20% of the total population of India work in industries and they contribute 28.9% to GDP. More than 45 lakh workers are involved directly in the forging industries (Singh and Bhardwaj, 2016). In India, most of the forging units are the backbone of the industry, and major focus on production has compromised the workers’ health and safety in small-scale industries. But some big multinationals are sensitive towards the importance of occupational health and safety. More than 70% of workers employed in small and medium-scale industries work for more than 72 hours per week, which is more than OSHA’s recommended limit.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), Workers, Shielding Equipment (SE)