Legal and Ethical Accountability in Occupational Safety: An Evaluation of Compliance Gaps Regarding Noise Hazards in Plastic Recycling Operations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20496657Keywords:
Occupational Safety, Noise Mitigation, Plastic Recycling Operations, Sound Pressure Level (SPL), Noise Dose, Ergonomic Assessment, Barrier Simulation, Hierarchy of Controls, OSHA Standards, Acoustic Barriers, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Regulatory Penalties, Compliance GapsAbstract
The study aims to examine measures that can be used to mitigate noise hazards at a Plastic Recycling Company considering the dangers caused by exposure to high sound intensity in grinding plastic materials. With a research design that involves ergonomics, planning, and barrier simulation, the study finds that the noise level was 111.56 dB and the noise dose was 1967% in 8 hours. Some of the methods applied include the use of vibration dampening pads and visual indicators as well as different barriers to noise. The findings reveal that the combination of noise reduction blanket, gypsum board, and mineral wool is the best barrier for mitigating noise problems as it brings down the noise level to 88.35 dB and the noise dose to 85.38%. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness study suggests that there are substantial savings in medical compensation and regulatory fines.
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