Archives of Acoustics, 43, 2, pp. 197–205, 2018
10.24425/122367

Evaluation of Exposure to Impulse Noise at Personnel Occupied Areas During Military Field Exercises

Rafał MŁYŃSKI
Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute
Poland

Emil KOZŁOWSKI
Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute
Poland

Jacek USOWSKI
Military Institute of Medicine
Poland

Dariusz JURKIEWICZ
Military Institute of Medicine
Poland

The tests reported in this paper were carried out to evaluate the exposure of soldiers to noise at operator and control positions during military field exercises. The tests were conducted during firing from a T-72 tank, a BWP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, antitank guided missiles, a ZU-23-2K anti-aircraft gun, and a 2S1 GOZDZIK howitzer. The evaluation of noise exposure showed that the limit values of sound pressure level, referred to by both Polish occupational noise protection standards and the Pfander and Dancer hearing damage risk criteria developed for military applications, were repeatedly exceeded at the tested positions. Despite of the use of tank crew headgear, the exposure limit values of sound pressure level were exceeded for the crew members of the T-72 tank, the BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, and the 2S1 GOZDZIK howitzer. The results show that exposure of soldiers to noise during military field exercises is a potentially high hearing risk factor.
Keywords: impulse noise; noise exposure; hearing damage risk criteria; weapon
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Copyright © Polish Academy of Sciences & Institute of Fundamental Technological Research (IPPT PAN).

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DOI: 10.24425/122367