What is impulse noise?

This means that in a very short time, sound with a very high level reaches our ears in relation to the level of background noise. A particular example of impulsive noise is the so-called quasi-stationary impulsive noise. Such noise consists of a sequence of impulses, the intervals of which are shorter than 1 second. This means that the frequency of impulse repetition, in the case of such noise, is greater than 1 Hz. Workers involved in metal processing, operating hydraulic presses, guillotine shears, or forging hammers are particularly exposed to this type of noise, as are those working in the presence of impulses generated by firearms, miners using pyrotechnic materials, or railway workers who perform their tasks accompanied by the sound of bridge construction while heavy vehicles pass.

It turns out that among various types of industrial equipment, the most dangerous are the hammers used in metal forges. They produce impulsive noise, whose peak sound level can reach as high as 147 decibels. This is more than the values recorded during the takeoff of a jet and exceeds the pain threshold. It is also worth adding that impulsive noise is most harmful when we do not expect it. Fortunately, impulsive sounds are usually easily recognizable by humans, but it also happens that some of the impulses go unnoticed. This is caused by the masking phenomenon, which occurs when many sources of noise reach the hearing organ simultaneously. When working in the presence of such noise, protection against it is very important. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to provide adequate collective protective measures in such cases. Fortunately, there are many hearing protectors available on the market, which are specially adapted headphones aimed at suppressing sounds coming from outside.