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Directive 2002/49/EC: Control of environmental noise

The purpose of this directive is to harmonize European regulations on noise pollution by traffic, industry, etc. across the different member states.

This directive is aimed at controlling noise affecting people in built-up areas, in public parks or other quiet areas in an agglomeration, in quiet areas in the countryside, and near schools, hospitals, and other noise-sensitive buildings and areas.

It does not apply to noise caused by the exposed person, noise from domestic activities, noise created by neighbours, noise at work places or inside means of transport, or noise due to military activities in military areas.

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Directive 2000/14/EC: Noise emissions by equipment for outdoor use

In addition to the Machinery Directive, extra conditions with regard to noise apply to a number of machines for outdoor use. A list of the machines to which these conditions apply is given below. The definitions of the machines are given in the directive.

The directive was published on 6 March 2002 and was ratified by Belgium as a Royal Decree. The regulations have been in force since 3 January 2002. .

Download directive 2000/14/EC

Contact - noise: SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Equipment for which noise limit values for the noise capacity apply

For this, the involvement of a notified body is always required (in Belgium: AIB Vinçotte and SGS)

 

Construction site hoists for goods transport (with combustion engine)

Compaction machines (only vibratory rollers and non-vibrating rollers, vibratory plate compactors and vibrating rammers)

• Compressors (<350 kW)

  Concrete-breakers and pneumatic picks, hand-use

  Construction winches (with combustion engine)

  Dozers (<500 kW)

  Dumpers (<500 kW)

  Cable excavators and hydraulic excavators (<500 kW)

  Excavator loaders (<500 kW)

  Loaders (<500 kW)

  Levellers (<500 kW)

  Mobile cranes

  Hydraulic generator units

  Motor hoes (<3 kW)

  Loader-type landfill compactors (<500 kW)

  Compacting screed paver-finishers (with the exception of compacting screed paver-finishers fitted with a high compaction beam)

  Lawnmowers (with the exception of agricultural and forestry equipment, as well as multifunctional machines of which the main drive motor has an installed power of over 20 kW)

  Power units (<400 kW)

  Tower cranes

  Lawn trimmers/lawn-edge trimmers

  Welding generators

  Combustion-engine driven counterbalanced lift trucks (with the exception of other forklift trucks with counterweight)

Contact - noise : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Equipment on which only the noise capacity level must be marked

The involvement of a notified body is not in principle required in this case.

 

Construction site hoists for goods transport (with electrical motor)

Band saws for use in the construction industry

Elevated platforms with combustion engine

Scrub cutters

Circular saw benches for use in the construction industry

High-pressure flushers

Portable chainsaws

High pressure water jet machines

Combined high pressure flushing vehicles and sludge-gulpers

Hydraulic hammers

Compaction machines (only explosion rammers)

Joint cutters

Concrete or mortar mixers

Leaf-blowers

Construction winches (with electrical motor)

Leaf collectors

Transport and spraying machines for concrete and mortar

Combustion-engine driven counterbalanced lift trucks (with the exception of other forklift trucks with counterweight)

Belt conveyors

Cooling installations on vehicles

Mobile waste containers

Drilling gear

Compacting screed paver-finishers (with high compaction beam)

Installations for filling and emptying tanks or silos on heavy goods vehicles

Piledrivers

Bottle banks

Pipe layers

Lawn trimmers/lawn-edge trimmers

Piste caterpillars

Power units (=400 kW)

Hedge cutters

Street sweepers

Refuse collectors

Road milling machines

Scarifiers

Wood shredders/chippers

Snow-removing machines with rotating tools (self-propelled, excluding attachments)

Suction vehicles

Trenchers

Truck mixers

Water pump units (not for use under water)

Download directive 2000/14/EC

Contact – noise : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Directive 2003/10/EC: Exposure of employees to noise

(European Parliament and European Council of 6 February 2003)

This directive establishes minimum requirements for the protection of employees against health and safety risks arising, or that can arise, due to exposure to noise, in particular the risk of hearing damage. The prescriptions of this directive apply to activities where employees are or may be exposed to risks associated with noise by virtue of their work.

The Member States had to adopt the directive into national laws by 15 February 2006. The previous legislation was the Royal Decree of 26 September 1991 (ratification of European directive 86/188/EEC). For Belgium, the new directive means a formal reduction of 5 dB(A) for the lower and upper exposure action values, and an additional limit value that takes account of the damping effect of hearing protections.

• Download directive 2003/10/EC

Contact – noise : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Directive 2002/44/EC: Exposure of employees to vibrations

This directive establishes minimum prescriptions for the protection of employees against health and safety risks arising, or that can arise, due to exposure to vibrations.

This directive sets action values and limit values for loads due to vibrations (both body vibrations and hand-arm vibrations) during work. The directive binds the employer to draw up a document (risk assessment) that describes which values apply and which measures are taken in respect of the set values. This document must also describe the instruction and training of employees.

Member States had to adopt the directive into a national law by 6 June 2005.

• Download directive 2002/44/EC

Contact –vibrations : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Standards - Geluid

General aspects of acoustics

• ISO 16:1975 Acoustics - Standard tuning frequency (Standard musical pitch)
• ISO 31-7:1992 Quantities and units - Part 7: Acoustics
• ISO 131:1979 Acoustics - Expression of physical and subjectivemagnitudes of sound or noise in air
• ISO 266:1975 Acoustics - Preferred frequencies formeasurements
• ISO 1683:1983 Acoustics - Preferred reference quantities foracoustic levels
• ISO 2204:1979 Acoustics - Guide to International Standards on the measurement of airborne acoustical noise and evaluation of its effects on human beings
• ISO 4871:1984 Acoustics- Noise labeling of machinery andequipment
• ISO 7731:1986 Danger signals for work places - Auditory dangersignals
• ISO 8201:1987 Acoustics - Audible emergency evacuation signal
• ISO/TR 11688-1:1995 Acoustics - Recommended practice for thedesign of low-noise machinery and equipment-Part 1: Planning

Contactpersoon - geluid : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Methods of noise measurement in general

• ISO 1996-1:1982 Acoustics - Description and measurement ofenvironmental noise - Part 1: Basic quantities and procedures
• ISO 1996-2:1987 Acoustics - Description and measurement ofenvironmental noise - Part 2: Acquisition of data pertinent to land use
• ISO 1996-3:1987 Acoustics - Description and measurement of environmental noise - Part 3: Application to noise limits
• ISO 3740:1980 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Guidelines for the use of basic standards and for the preparation of noise test codes
• ISO 3741:1988 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Precision methods for broad-band sources in reverberation rooms
• ISO 3742:1988 Acoustics -Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Precision methods for discrete-frequency and narrow-band sources in reverberation rooms
• ISO 3743-1:1994 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Engineering methods for small, movable sources in reverberant fields - Part 1: Comparison method for hard-walled test rooms
• ISO 3743-2:1994 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pressure -Engineering methods for small, movable sources in reverberant fields - Part 2: Methods for special reverberation test rooms
• ISO 3744:1994 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pressure -Engineering method in an essentially free field over a reflecting plane
• ISO 3745:1977 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Precision methods for anechoic and semi-anechoic rooms
• ISO 3746:1995 Acoustics -Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pressure - Survey method using an enveloping measurement surface over a reflecting plane
• ISO 3747:1987 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Survey method using a reference sound source
• ISO 6081:1986 Acoustics - Noise emitted by machinery and
• equipment - Guidelines for the preparation of test codes of engineering grade requiring noise measurements at the operator's or bystander's position
• ISO 6926:1990 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources - Requirements for the performance and calibration of reference sound sources
• ISO 7574-1:1985 Acoustics - Statistical methods for determining and verifying stated noise emission values of machinery and equipment - Part 1: General considerations and definitions
• ISO 7574-2:1985 Acoustics - Statistical methods for determining and verifying stated noise emission values of machinery and equipment - Part 2: Methods for stated values for individual machines
• ISO 7574-3:1985 Acoustics - Statistical methods for determining and verifying stated noise emission values of machinery and equipment - Part 3: Simple (transition) method for stated values for batches of machines
• ISO 7574-4:1985 Acoustics - Statistical methods for determining and verifying stated noise emission values of machinery and equipment - Part 4: Methods for stated values for batches of machines
• ISO/TR 7849:1987 Acoustics - Estimation of airborne noise emitted by machinery using vibration measurement
• ISO 8297:1994 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of multisource industrial plants for evaluation of sound pressure levels in the environment-Engineering method
• ISO 9613-1:1993 Acoustics - Attenuation of sound during propagation outdoors - Part 1: Calculation of the absorption of sound by the atmosphere
• ISO 9614-1:1993 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound intensity - Part 1: Measurement at discrete points

Contactpersoon - geluid : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Noise with respect to human beings

• ISO 226:1987 Acoustics - Normal equal-loudness level contours
• ISO 389:1991 Acoustics - Standard reference zero for thecalibration of pure-tone air conduction audiometers
• ISO 389-2:1994 Acoustics - Reference zero for the calibration of audiometric equipment - Part 2: Reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels for pure tones and insert earphones
• ISO 389-3:1994 Acoustics - Reference zero for the calibration of audiometric equipment- Part3: Reference equivalent threshold force levels for pure tones and bone vibrators
• ISO 389-4:1994 Acoustics - Reference zero for the calibration of audiometric equipment- Part 4: Reference levels for narrow-band masking noise
• ISO 532:1975 Acoustics - Method for calculating loudness level
• ISO 1999:1990 Acoustics - Determination of occupational noise exposure and estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment
• ISO/TR 3352:1974 Acoustics -Assessment of noise with respect to its effect on the intelligibility of speech
• ISO 4869-1:1990 Acoustics - Hearing protectors - Part 1:Subjective method for the measurement of sound attenuation
• ISO 4869-2:1994 Acoustics - Hearing protectors - Part 2: Estimation of effective A-weighted sound pressure levels when hearing protectors are worn
• ISO/TR 4869-3:1989 Acoustics - Hearing protectors - Part 3:Simplified method for the measurement of insertion loss of ear-muff type protectors for quality inspection purposes
• ISO/TR 4870:1991 Acoustics - The construction and calibration of speech intelligibility tests
• ISO 6189:1983 Acoustics - Pure tone air conduction thresholdaudiometry for hearing conservation purposes
• ISO 7029:1984 Acoustics - Threshold of hearing by air conduction as a function of age and sex for otologically normal persons
• ISO 7196:1995 Acoustics - Frequency-weighting characteristic for infrasound measurements
• ISO 8253-1:1989 Acoustics - Audiometric test methods - Part I: Basic pure tone air and bone conduction threshold audiometry
• ISO 8253-2:1992 Acoustics - Audiometric test methods - Part 2: Sound field audiometry with pure tone and narrow-band test signals

Contactpersoon - geluid : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Noise emitted by vehicles

• ISO 362:1994 Acoustics - Measurement of noise emitted byaccelerating road vehicles - Engineering method
• ISO 2922:1975 Acoustics - Measurement of noise emitted byvessels on inland water-ways and harbours
• ISO 2923:1975 Acoustics - Measurement of noise on board vessels
• ISO 3095:1975 Acoustics- Measurement of noise emitted by railbound vehicles
• ISO 3381:1976 Acoustics - Measurement of noise inside railbound vehicles
• ISO 3891:1978 Acoustics - Procedure for describing aircraft noise heard on the ground
• ISO 5128:1980 Acoustics - Measurement of noise inside motor vehicles
• ISO 5129:1987 Acoustics - Measurement of noise inside aircraft
• ISO 5130:1982 Acoustics- Measurement of noise emitted bystationary road vehicles - Survey method
• ISO 5131:1982 Acoustics - Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry - Measurement of noise at the operator's position - Survey method
• ISO 6393:1985 Acoustics - Measurement of airborne noiseemitted by earth-moving machinery - Method for determining compliance with limits for exterior noise - Stationary test condition
• ISO 6394:1985 Acoustics - Measurement of airborne noiseemitted by earth-moving machinery - Operator's position - Stationary test condition
• ISO 6395:1988 Acoustics - Measurement of exterior noiseemitted by earth-moving machinery - Dynamic test conditions
• ISO 6396:1992 Acoustics - Measurement at the operator's position of noise emitted by earth-moving machinery - Dynamic test conditions
• ISO 7188:1994 Acoustics - Measurement of noise emitted by passenger cars under conditions representative of urban driving
• ISO 7216:1992 Acoustics - Agricultural and forestry wheeled tractors and self-propelled machines -Measurement of noise emitted when in motion
• ISO 9645:1990 Acoustics - Measurement of noise emitted by two-wheeled mopeds in motion - Engineering method
• ISO 10844:1994 Acoustics - Specification of test tracks for the purpose of measuring noise emitted by road vehicles

Contactpersoon - geluid : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Noise emitted by specific machines and equipment

• ISO 1680-1:1986 Acoustics - Test code for the measurement of airborne noise emitted by rotating electrical machinery- Part 1: Engineering method for free-field conditions over a reflecting plane
• ISO 1680-2:1986 Acoustics - Test code for the measurement of airborne noise emitted by rotating electrical machinery- Part 2: Survey method
• ISO 2151:1972 Measurement of airborne noise emitted by compressor/primemover-units intended for outdoor use
• ISO 4412-1:1991 Hydraulic fluid power - Test code for determination of airborne noise levels -Part 1: Pumps
• ISO 4412-2:1991 Hydraulic fluid power - Test code for determination of airborne noise levels -Part 2: Motors
• ISO 4412-3:1991 Hydraulic fluid power- Test code fordetermination of airborne noise levels -Part 3: Pumps - Method using a parallelepiped microphone array
• ISO 4872:1978 Acoustics - Measurement of airborne noise emitted by construction equipment intended for outdoor use - Method for determining compliance with noise limits
• ISO 5135:1984 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise from air terminal devices, high/low velocity/pressure assemblies, dampers and valves by measurement in a reverberation room
• ISO 6190:1988 Acoustics - Measurement of sound pressure levels of gas turbine installations for evaluating environmental noise - Survey method
• ISO 7182:1984 Acoustics - Measurement at the operator's position of airborne noise emitted by chain saws
• ISO 7779:1988 Acoustics - Measurement of airborne noise emitted by computer and business equipment
• ISO 7917:1987 Acoustics - Measurement at the operator's position of airborne noise emitted by brush saws
• ISO 7960:1995 Airborne noise emitted by machine tools -Operating conditions for woodworking machines
• ISO 8579-1:1993 Acceptance code for gears - Part 1: Determination of airborne sound power levels emitted by gear units
• ISO 8960:1991 Refrigerators, frozen-food storage cabinets and food freezers for household and similar use -Measurement of emission of airborne acoustical noise
• ISO 9207:1995 Manually portable chain-saws with internalcombustion engine - Determination of sound power levels - Engineering method (grade 2)
• ISO 9295:1988 Acoustics - Measurement of high-frequency noise emitted by computer and business equipment
• ISO 9296:1988 Acoustics - Declared noise emission values ofcomputer and business equipment
• ISO 9902:1993 Textile machinery acoustics - Determination of sound pressure levels and sound power levels emitted by textile machines - Engineering and survey methods
• ISO 10494:1993 Gas turbines and gas turbine sets -Measurement of emitted airborne noise -Engineering/survey method
• ISO 11094:1991 Acoustics - Test code for the measurement of airborne noise emitted by power lawn mowers, lawn tractors, lawn and garden tractors, professional mowers, and lawn and garden tractors with mowing attachments

Contactpersoon - geluid : SIRRIS, Nikolaas Van Riet

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Acoustics in building

• ISO 140-1:1990 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 1: Requirements for laboratories
• ISO 140-2:1991 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 2: Determination, verification and application of precision data
• ISO 140-3:1995 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 3: Laboratory measurements of airborne sound insulation of building elements
• ISO 140-4:1978 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 4: Field measurements of airborne sound insulation between rooms
• ISO 140-5:1978 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 5: Field measurements of airborne sound insulation of facade elements and facades
• ISO 140-6:1978 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 6: Laboratory measurements of impact sound insulation of floors
• ISO 140-7:1978 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 7: Field measurements of impact sound insulation of floors
• ISO 140-8:1978 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 8: Laboratory measurements of the reduction of transmitted impact no/se by floor coverings on a standard floor
• ISO 140-9:1985 Acoustics - Measurements of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 9: Laboratory measurement of mom-to-room airborne sound insulation of a suspended ceiling with a plenum above it
• ISO 140-10:1991 Acoustics - Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements - Part 10: Laboratory measurement of airborne sound insulation of small building elements
• ISO 354:1985 Acoustics - Measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room
• ISO 717-1:1982 Acoustics - Hating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements -Part 1: Airborne sound insulation in buildings and of interior building elements
• ISO 717-2:1982 Acoustics - Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements -Part 2: Impact sound insulation
• ISO 717-3:1982 Acoustics - Hating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements -Part 3: Airborne sound insulation of facade elements and facades
• ISO 3382:1975 Acoustics - Measurement of reverberation time in auditoria
• ISO 3822-1:1983 Acoustics - Laboratory tests on-noise emission from appliances and equipment used in water supply installations - Part 1: Method of measurement
• ISO 3822-2:1984 Acoustics - Laboratory tests on noise emission from appliances and equipment used in water supply installations - Part 2: Mounting and operating conditions for draw-off taps
• ISO 3822-3:1984 Acoustics - Laboratory tests on noise emission from appliances and equipment used in water supply installations - Part 3: Mounting and operating conditions for in-line valves and appliances
• ISO 3822-4:1985 Acoustics - Laboratory tests on noise emission from appliances and equipment used in water supply installations - Part 4: Mounting and opera ting conditions for special appliances
• ISO 5136:1990 Acoustics - Determination of sound power radiated into a duct by fans - In-duct method
• ISO 7235:1991 Acoustics - Measurement procedures for ducted silencers - Insertion loss, flow noise and total pressure loss
• ISO 9052-1:1989 Acoustics - Determination of dynamic stiffness -Part 1: Materials used under floating floors in dwellings
• ISO 9053:1991 Acoustics - Materials for acoustical applications -Determination of airflow resistance
• ISO 9568:1993 Cinematography- Background acoustic noise levels in theatres, review rooms and dubbing rooms
• ISO 10053:1991 Acoustics -Measurement of off ice screen sound attenuation under specific laboratory conditions
• ISO 11691:1995 Acoustics - Measurement of insertion loss of ducted silencers without flow - Laboratory survey method

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Standards concerning body vibrations and hand-arm vibrations

MEASURING EQUIPMENT

ISO 8041 (1990) (ENV 28041 (1993)): describes the requirements to be met by the measuring equipment specific to body and hand-arm vibrations

BODY VIBRATION

ISO 2631-1 (1997): evaluation of exposure to body vibration: general

ISO 2631-2 (1997): evaluation of exposure to body vibration: in buildings

NBN EN 14253 (2003): practical guide for the measurement and evaluation of occupational vibration on the human body with respect to health

HAND-ARM VIBRATION

ISO 5349-1 (2001): evaluation of exposure to hand-arm vibration: general

ISO 5349-2 (2001): evaluation of exposure to hand-arm vibration: practical guide for the measurement and evaluation of occupational hand-arm vibration with respect to health

MACHINE MEASUREMENTS

The abovementioned standards primarily relate to the determining of exposure to vibration by employees (linked to the social directive). This is somewhat different to the evaluation of the vibration level caused by an appliance or vehicle (linked to the machine directive). In the first case, a practical situation is evaluated; in the second a reference situation.

NBN EN 12096 (1997): mechanical vibration — statement and control of vibration emission values (gives a value for comparison between users, manufacturers, authorities)

NBN-EN 1032 (2003): mechanical vibration — Testing of mobile machines to determine the vibration emission value

NBN-EN 13059 (2002): safety of transport trucks: test methods for the measurement of vibrations

EN ISO 8662 (1995-1997): vibration level of motor-driven hand tools, 11 parts (machine-specific)

Contact – vibrations : SIRRIS,  Nikolaas Van Riet

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