Noise Exposure Standards: OSHA, Religious Buildings, WHO Guidelines

Noise complaints & noise level guidelines for churches, mosques, synagogues

Guidelines & standards for noise levels in religious buildings:

Here we describe noise exposure level standards for the workplace and for churches, synagogues, and mosques.

This article weries discusses how to identify noise or sound complaints that may be health or age-related. This article series discusses noise and sound source diagnosis and control: how to inspect, diagnose & cure noise or sound problems in buildings. Information is provided about auditory (hearing), visual, historic, or other clues of building condition that explain various sounds heard in buildings.

Our page top table of relative sound levels (left) is from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction (Steve Bliss, J Wiley & Sons) , by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.

Noise Exposure Standards

Below on this page we provide free PDF downloads of noise & sound levels & exposure guidelines from various authorities.

Question: Is there a noise standard for mosques ?

Radwan Almasri said:

Is there a standard noise standard for mosques ? best regards Radwan Almasri masri.radwan@gmail.com

Thank you very much

- this question appeared originally at AIR-BOUND HEATING SYSTEMS

Reply:

Radwan,

While there may be acceptable noise level standards in some Muslim documents describing requirements for mosques, I have not found them.

There are, however, general noise exposure guidelines developed by various agencies that are helpful standards for noise exposure.

In the United States, The government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes recommended sound levels for employees in the workplace.

Excerpting from TABLE G-16 – PERMISSIBLE NOISE EXPOSURES.

Choosing shorter noise or sound exposure intervals since it's not likely that most worshippers are going to be in a mosque for more than three continuous hours per day, the following sound level exposures are permissible for the lengths of time indicated:

• 15 minutes per day = 115 dBA1
• 30 minutes per day = 110 dBA
• 1 hour per day = 105 dBA
• 1.5 hours per day = 102 dBA
• 2 hours per day = 100 dBA
• 3 hours per day = 97 dBA

See the complete noise standard at OSHA NOISE EXPOSURE LIMITS STANDARD 1910.95 [PDF] OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210 USA, Tel: 800-321-6742 , Website www.OSHA.gov, retrieved 2018/06/12, original source: www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9735&p_text_version=FALSE

Standards, Codes, Guides for Noise Levels

Some individual churches, synagogues, and mosques have local noise policies. Examples are below along with more-general noise exposure guidelines, codes, and standards.

• Acoustical Society of AmericaElaine Moran, ASA Office Manager, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502 516) 576-2360, FAX: (516) 576-2377 email: asa@aip.org.
  ASA is an excellent source of noise and sound standards. Quoting from the associations history page:
  
  "From the Society's inception, its members have been involved in the development of acoustical standards concerned with terminology, measurement procedures, and criteria for determining the effects of noise and vibration.
  
  In 1932, The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), then called the American Standards Association, appointed the Acoustical Society as sponsor of a committee, designated as Z-24, to standardize acoustical terminology and measurements. The work of this committee expanded to such an extent that it was replaced in 1957 by three committees, S1 on Acoustics, S2 on Mechanical Shock and Vibration, and S3 on Bioacoustics, with a fourth, S12 on Noise, added in 1981.
  
  These four committees are each responsible for producing, developing a consensus for, and adopting standards in accordance with procedures approved by ANSI.
  Although these committees are independent of the Acoustical Society, the Society provide s the financial support and an administrative Secretariat to facilitate their work.
  
  After a standard is adopted by one of these committees and approved by ANSI, the Secretariat arranges for its publication by ASA through the American Institute of
  Physics.
  
  The ASA also distributes ISO and IEC standards. Abstracts of standards and ordering information can be found online on the ASA Standards Page. More than 100 acoustical standards have been published in this way; a catalog is also available from the Standards Secretariat (631-390-0215; Fax: 631-390-0217).
  
  The Society also provides administrative support for several international standards committees and acts as the administrative Secretariat (on behalf of ANSI) for the International Technical Committee on Vibration and Shock (TC-108)." - http://asa.aip.org/history.html


• ANSI/ASA S12.60, Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, 2002.
• ACGIH "A Guide For the Control of Audible Sound Hazards" 1st Ed., ACGIH, (2020) Website: acgih.org
  Abstract:
  
  A Guide for the Control of Audible Sound Hazards is newly published by ACGIH® and the Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents (TLV®-PA) Committee.
  
  This guide is designed to provide additional guidance for users of the Threshold Limit Value (TLV®) for occupational exposure to audible sound, which recommends levels of exposure and conditions under which it is believed that nearly all healthy workers may be repeatedly exposed, day after day, without adverse health effects.
  
  It is important that this TLV® be applied only by individuals adequately trained and experienced in the necessary measurement and evaluation techniques.
• Al Shimemeri, S. A., and Chirag B. Patel. "Assessment of noise levels in 200 Mosques in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia." Avicenna journal of medicine 1, no. 2 (2011): 35.
  Results:
  
  Noise levels were measured at 200 mosque prayer rooms from all 15 municipal districts of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Of these, 151 prayer rooms (75.5%) had both inside and outside noise measurements and the remaining 49 prayer rooms (24.5%) had only inside noise measurements.
  
  There was significantly greater noise outside compared to inside the prayer rooms, for both the highest noise level (outside: 87.8 ± 4.8 dB compared to inside: 85.8 ± 5.4 dB, P < 0.0001) and lowest noise level (outside: 58.4 ± 3.8 db compared to inside: 56.6 ± 3.6 db, p < 0.00001).
  In all, 112 of the inside highest level measurements (56%) and 113 of the outside highest level measurements (74.8%) were greater than 85 db, the sound level at which nihl has been shown to occur in occupational settings.
  
  Conclusion: a large proportion (56%) of mosque prayer rooms with inside peak noise measurements were above acceptable levels (85 db), however, prayers certainly do not last for 8 continuous hours. therefore, the level of noise at mosques is acceptable and in compliance with international norms of hearing safety; moreover, it does not present any risk to hearing in the long run.
  
  Volume levels and hearing safety at covenant life church, - retrieved 2018/06/12, original source: worshipmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/volume-levels-and-hearing-safety-at-covenant-life-church.pdf
• Al-saleh, Khalid s. "How loud should the sound level be in the mosque?." in engineering systems management and its applications (icesma), 2010 second international conference on, pp. 1-6. ieee, 2010.
  Abstract:
  
  The sound level of the mosques' inner and outer speakers is a source of dispute and debate in saudi arabia. the objectives of this research were to evaluate the sound level and the population's opinions in riyadh mosques so that a suitable sound level can be recommended.
  
  The study utilized a sound level meter to measure the sound level of 20 randomly selected mosques in riyadh and a questionnaire for opinions gathering about the loudness of the mosque's inner and outer speakers of a random set of worshipers and neighbors of the 20 mosques.
  
  The inner sound level was measured in 5 horizontal locations in every mosque while having two vertical locations, ear height and seating ear height, for each.
  
  The sound level was also measured outside each mosque. the results showed that the minimum, maximum and average for the inner and outer sound levels (in db) of the mosques were (71.42, 87.24, 77.74) and (60.19, 76.46, 68.95) respectively. the results showed statistically significant differences between the inner sound levels among mosques (p=0.000, f=7.47) and between the outer sound levels among mosques (p=0.000, f=76.10).
  
  no statistically significant effects were found for the height (p=0.979) and horizontal location (p=0.11) inside the mosque on the sound level. 9.6%, 57.7% and 32.7% of 52 worshipers rated the inner sound level as low, medium and high respectively.
  
  With respect to outer sound level rating, the percentages of low, medium and high were 17.3%, 46.2 and 36.5% respectively. the age effect on the worshipers' opinion of the inner and outer sound levels was not statistically significant (p=0.39 and p=0.17 respectively).
  
  The study could not find any standards for the sound level of the mosque's speakers. furthermore, the sound levels varied significantly among the studied mosques.
  
  There is a need for implementing suitable standards for the sound levels of mosques' speakers so that the objectives of the mosque's sound systems are reached, namely: clear and safe auditory message. it is recommended that the sound level to be set as a standard should not exceed the levels recorded in this research.
• Luiz felipe silva & rogério cabral, "noise exposure levels of priests and worshippers in protestant churches" [pdf], international journal of occupational safety and ergonomics (jose) 2011, vol. 17, no. 1, 79–86
  Excerpt:
  
  Probably, the scenario analysed has certain complexity. on the one hand, there is a situation that can be recognized like public health problem, due to high noise levels inside the churches during worship.
  
  On the other hand, there is a religious practice settled in this style, with sound amplification to conduct it. harmonic ways between the acoustical hygiene measures and the religious values must be adopted. - retrieved 2018/06/12, original source: pdfs.semanticscholar.org/edcf/83bdd0639cee3bdea90585fe3b91386e247c.pdf
• NRCC, DEVELOPMENTS in NOISE CONTROL [PDF] NRCC, National Research Council, Canada, suggestions for noise control, sound transmission through block walls, plumbing noise control, noise leaks, and sound control advice. Web search 01/17/2011, original source: www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/ibp/irc/bsi/90-noise-control.html
• OSHA NOISE EXPOSURE LIMITS STANDARD 1910.95 [PDF] OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210 USA, Tel: 800-321-6742 , Website www.OSHA.gov, retrieved 2018/06/12, original source: www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9735&p_text_version=FALSE
• US EPA Noise Regulations & References
  • Noise Control act - http://www.nonoise.org/epa/act.htm
  • QUIET COMMUNITIES ACT - 1978
  • Federal Regulations from the EPA's Office of Noise Abatement & Control - http://www.nonoise.org/epa/reg.htm
  • Protective Noise Levels - 1979, basis for many local noise ordinances and codes - nonoise.org/library/levels/Water_Contaminant_Limits.php
    This publication is intended to complement the EPA's "Levels Document,"* the 1974 report examining levels of environmental noise necessary to protect public health and welfare.
    
    It interprets the contents of the Levels Document in less technical terms for people who wish to better understand the concepts presented there, and how the protective levels were identified. In that sense, this publication may serve as an introduction, or a supplement, to the Levels Document.
  • A BASIS FOR LIMITING NOISE EXPOSURE FOR HEARING CONSERVATION [PDF] (1973) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Original source: nonoise.org/epa/Roll1/roll1doc1.pdf
    
    Excerpts: The Biodynamics and Bionics Division of the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory was given the responsibility, under an Interagency Agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, to develop a document which would serve as a basis for limiting noise for hearing conservation.
    
    Good hearing is one of the most important of human senses. When it is lost or seriously impaired, one is not only disadi vantaged socially but may be robbed of much potential as a wage-earner: handicap due to hearing loss is for many people I as tragic as a disability resulting from major injury or i serious illness, reducing the person's capacity to enjoy life to the full and to follow unfettered his or her chosen trade I or profession.
    
    Rarely, the hearing is deficient from birth or following a childhood illness; or it may be damaged during adult life by head injury or by disease affecting the ear or its connections with the brain.
    
    Moreover, some loss of sensitivity of hearing, particularly for high tones, is experienced by all adults as they grow older. This phenomenon (preshyaeusis), the onset and progress of which shows considerable individual and demographic variation, is generally accepted to be a nor_al consequence of the human aging process, and to take place whether or not the ear is affected by disease, injury or noise.
    
    Nevertheless, the most prevalent and avoidable cause of hearing loss is excessive noise exposure. Observations in animals as well as in man show tha_ noise of sufficient intensity reaching the inner ear injures the hearing organ (the organ of Corti).
    
    The principal site of injury appears to be the hair cells of that organ. As the intensity of the noise and the time for which the ear is exposed to it are increased, a greater proportion of the hair cells are damaged or eventually destroyed.
    
    Because the function of the hair cells is to transduce the mechanical energy reaching the ear into electrical signals, which are then carried by the auditory nerves to the brain, progressive loss of hair cells is usually accompanied by progressive loss of hearing.
  • Noise - a Health Problem - http://www.nonoise.org/library/epahlth/epahlth.htm - quoted below
    

    Racket, din, clamor, noise. Whatever you want to call it, unwanted sound is America's most widespread nuisance. But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people's health.
    
    Day and night, at home, at work, and at play, noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is immune to this stress.
    
    Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the body still responds - sometimes with extreme tension, as to a strange sound in the night.

    The annoyance we feel when faced with noise is the most common outward symptom of the stress building up inside us. Indeed, because irritability is so apparent, legislators have made public annoyance the basis of many noise abatement programs.
    
    The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stress caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nonetheless, when we are annoyed or made irritable by noise, we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other things may be happening to us, some of which may be damaging to our health.

  • Protective Noise Levels - 1979, basis for many local noise ordinances and codes - http://www.nonoise.org/library/levels/levels.htm
    
    This publication is intended to complement the EPA's "Levels Document,"* the 1974 report examining levels of environmental noise necessary to protect public health and welfare.
    
    It interprets the contents of the Levels Document in less technical terms for people who wish to better understand the concepts presented there, and how the protective levels were identified. In that sense, this publication may serve as an introduction, or a supplement, to the Levels Document.
• WHO, ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE GUIDELINES FOR THE EUROPEAN REGION [PDF] (2018) World Health Organization, WHO Regional Office for Europe UN City, Marmorvej 51 DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark, retrieved 2023/06/12, original source: who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289053563
  
  Excerpts:
  Noise is an important public health issue. It has negative impacts on human health and well-being and is a growing concern. The WHO Regional Office for Europe has developed these guidelines, based on the growing understanding of these health impacts of exposure to environmental noise.
  
  The main purpose of these guidelines is to provide recommendations for protecting human health from exposure to environmental noise originating from various sources: transportation (‎road traffic, railway and aircraft)‎ noise, wind turbine noise and leisure noise.
  
  They provide robust public health advice underpinned by evidence, which is essential to drive policy action that will protect communities from the adverse effects of noise.
  
  The guidelines are published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. In terms of their health implications, the recommended exposure levels can be considered applicable in other regions and suitable for a global audience.
  
  At the request of Member States at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma, Italy, in March 2010, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has developed these guidelines, based on the growing understanding of the health impacts of exposure to environmental noise.
  
  They provide robust public health advice, which is essential to drive policy action that will protect communities from the adverse effects of noise.
  
  These WHO guidelines – the first of their kind globally – provide recommendations for protecting human health from exposure to environmental noise originating from various sources.
  
  They not only offer robust public health advice but also serve as a solid basis for future updates, given the growing recognition of the problem and the rapid advances in research on the health impacts of noise.
  
  The comprehensive process of developing the guidelines has followed a rigorous methodology; their recommendations are based on systematic reviews of evidence that consider more health outcomes of noise exposure than ever before.
  
  Through their potential to influence urban, transport and energy policies, these guidelines contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and support WHO’s vision of creating resilient communities and supportive environments in the European Region.
  

...

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