Noise and vibration exposure calculator
Work out the daily noise exposure level LEX,8h, the equivalent OSHA dose and the daily vibration exposure A(8), then read each one against the action and limit values in force in Türkiye.
Noise exposure entries
Add one line for every sound level the employee meets during the working period: the A-weighted level in dB(A) and how long it lasts. The number of lines is not limited; empty lines are ignored.
The daily level is the time-weighted average over an eight-hour working day (Noise Regulation, Article 4).
| Sound level dB(A) | Duration | Unit | Line |
|---|
Result under the rules in force in Türkiye
When the exposure limit values are applied, the protection given by the personal hearing protectors the employee wears is taken into account; when the action values are applied it is not (Noise Regulation, Articles 5(2) and 5(3)).
The calculation is informational. The binding text is the regulation itself; exposure is established by measurement carried out under the risk assessment.
Action and limit values in force in Türkiye
| Value | LEX,8h | Peak sound pressure |
|---|
Source: Regulation on the Protection of Employees from Risks Related to Noise, Article 5.
Comparison with the OSHA convention
The two conventions are not the same and the same measurement gives two different figures. Article 4(1)(b) of the Noise Regulation and Article 2(b) of Directive 2003/10/EC define the daily noise exposure level (LEX,8h) as set out in TS 2607 ISO 1999 / ISO 1999:1990 clause 3.6; the energy-equivalent basis that halves the time for every 3 dB comes from that standard, and the figure 3 dB is written neither in the regulation nor in the directive. In the United States the rate is written into the law itself: 29 CFR 1910.95 Table G-16 and Appendix A Table G-16a halve the permitted duration for every 5 dB (8 hours at 90 dBA, 4 hours at 95 dBA, 2 hours at 100 dBA, 1 hour at 105 dBA), and the comparison starts from the 90 dBA that Table G-16 gives for eight hours rather than from the 87 dB(A) limit value. The figures below have no legal effect in Türkiye; they are given only so that the difference is visible.
| Sound level | Permitted duration Tn | Time spent Cn | Partial dose Cn / Tn |
|---|
Tn = 8 / 2^((L − 90) / 5) · D = 100 × Σ (Cn / Tn) · TWA = 16.61 × log10(D / 100) + 90
Source: 29 CFR 1910.95 — Table G-16 (the sound levels above which protection must be provided; 90 dBA for eight hours), 1910.95(c)(2) (an eight-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA is the action level) and Appendix A Table G-16a (reference duration T).
Legal basis for noise
- Article 5 — exposure action values and exposure limit values.
- Article 6 — determination of exposure; noise measurement where the risk assessment calls for it.
- Article 7 — the noise risks weighed in the risk assessment.
- Article 8 — prevention and reduction of exposure; the action plan and the marking of workplaces once the highest action values are exceeded.
- Article 9 — personal protection; hearing protectors kept available and their use ensured.
- Article 10 — limitation of exposure; the limit value can never be exceeded.
- Article 11 — information and training of employees.
- Article 13 — health surveillance and hearing tests.
Vibration exposure entries
Give the acceleration declared for the equipment or found by measurement, in m/s², together with the daily exposure duration. Hand-arm and whole-body vibration are worked out separately; you may fill in either one or both.
Result under the rules in force in Türkiye
| Vibration | Daily exposure A(8) | Position | Time to reach the action value | Time to reach the limit value |
|---|
A(8) = a × √(T / 8), where T is the daily exposure duration in hours. The time in which a given value is reached at that acceleration is T = 8 × (value / a)². A figure above eight hours means the value is not reached within an eight-hour working day.
The calculation is informational. The binding text is the regulation itself; exposure is established by measurement carried out under the risk assessment.
Action and limit values in force in Türkiye
| Vibration | Daily exposure action value | Daily exposure limit value |
|---|
Source: Regulation on the Protection of Employees from Risks Related to Vibration, Article 5.
Legal basis for vibration
- Article 5 — daily exposure limit values and daily exposure action values.
- Article 6 — determination of exposure; measurements carried out by occupational hygiene measurement, test and analysis laboratories.
- Article 7 — the mechanical vibration risks weighed in the risk assessment.
- Article 8 — the action plan of technical and organisational measures once the action value is exceeded.
- Article 9 — limitation of exposure; immediate measures once the limit value is exceeded.
- Article 10 — information and training of employees.
- Article 12 — health surveillance in every case of exposure above the action value.
Legal basis
The table shows the obligations of the legislation region you pick in the top bar; it refreshes without reloading the page when the region changes.
Legal basis — Türkiye
| Obligation | Legal basis | How the tool covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Lower exposure action values: LEX,8h = 80 dB(A) or ppeak = 112 Pa [135 dB(C) re. 20 µPa]. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 5(1)(a) | The lower action value row of the tool's table of action and limit values in force in Türkiye; the computed LEX,8h is compared against that row. |
| Upper exposure action values: LEX,8h = 85 dB(A) or ppeak = 140 Pa [137 dB(C) re. 20 µPa]. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 5(1)(b) | The upper action value row of the same table; the optional "peak sound pressure dB(C)" input on the page is compared against that row. |
| Exposure limit values: LEX,8h = 87 dB(A) or ppeak = 200 Pa [140 dB(C) re. 20 µPa]. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 5(1)(c) | The limit value row of the table; the "result under the rules in force in Türkiye" block reads the computed level against that row. |
| When the limit values are applied the attenuation of the personal hearing protectors is taken into account; it is not taken into account for the action values. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 5(2) and 5(3) | The caption under the result block carries exactly this distinction; the calculation does not take protector attenuation as an input. |
| Where daily exposure varies markedly from day to day the weekly noise exposure level may be used; the weekly level may not exceed the 87 dB(A) limit value. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 5(4) | The "weekly exposure level, five eight-hour working days" option of the reference period selector in the input block. |
| The employer addresses the noise level in the risk assessment and, where needed, has noise measured to determine exposure. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 6(1) | The Article 6 entry in the page's "legal basis for noise" list and the caption stating that exposure is determined by measurement within the risk assessment. |
| Hearing protectors are made available when the lower action value is exceeded and their use is ensured and supervised when the upper action value is reached or exceeded. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 9(1)(a) and (b) | The result block shows which action value the computed level passes; the page ties the hearing protector duty to that threshold. |
| For hand-arm vibration the daily exposure limit value standardised to eight hours is 5 m/s² and the daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s². | Regulation on Risks Related to Vibration, Art. 5(1)(a) | The hand-arm acceleration input on the vibration tab and the "time to reach the action value" and "time to reach the limit value" columns of the result table. |
| For whole-body vibration the daily exposure limit value standardised to eight hours is 1.15 m/s² and the daily exposure action value is 0.5 m/s². | Regulation on Risks Related to Vibration, Art. 5(1)(b) | The whole-body acceleration input on the vibration tab; the A(8) result is placed against these two values. |
| The employer arranges hearing tests for workers exposed to noise above the upper exposure action values. | Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 13(1)(b) | The Article 13 entry in the "legal basis for noise" list — health surveillance and hearing tests. |
| Daily noise exposure level (LEX, 8h) [dB(A) re. 20 µPa]: as defined in standard TS 2607 ISO 1999, the time-weighted average, over a nominal eight-hour working day, of all the A-weighted noise exposure levels including peak sound pressure and impulsive noise. | Regulation on the Protection of Employees from Risks Related to Noise, Art. 4(1)(b) | The LEX,8h the tool calculates, and the note in the entry section: the daily level is the time-weighted average over an eight-hour working day (Noise Regulation, Article 4). |
The noise values were read from the Turkish Regulation on the Protection of Workers from Risks Related to Noise and the vibration values from the Regulation on Risks Related to Vibration. Both rest on Article 30 of Law No. 6331.
Legal basis — European Union
| Obligation | Legal basis | How the tool covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure limit values: LEX,8h = 87 dB(A) and ppeak = 200 Pa. | Directive 2003/10/EC, Art. 3(1)(a) | The limit value row of the tool; the EU and the Turkish figure are the same, so the calculation engine does not change. |
| Upper exposure action values: LEX,8h 85 dB(A) and ppeak = 140 Pa. | Directive 2003/10/EC, Art. 3(1)(b) | The upper action value row of the tool. |
| Lower exposure action values: LEX,8h = 80 dB(A) and ppeak = 112 Pa. | Directive 2003/10/EC, Art. 3(1)(c) | The lower action value row of the tool. |
| When the limit values are applied the attenuation provided by the hearing protectors worn by the worker is taken into account; the action values do not. | Directive 2003/10/EC, Art. 3(2) | The hearing protector caption under the result block. |
| For activities where daily exposure varies markedly, a Member State may use the weekly exposure level; the weekly level may not exceed the 87 dB(A) limit value. | Directive 2003/10/EC, Art. 3(3) | The weekly reference period option in the input block. |
| For hand-arm vibration the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference period is 5 m/s² and the daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s². | Directive 2002/44/EC, Art. 3(1)(a)-(b) | The hand-arm inputs and the A(8) result on the vibration tab. |
| For whole-body vibration the daily exposure limit value is 1.15 m/s² or, at the choice of the Member State, a vibration dose value of 21 m/s^1.75; the daily exposure action value is 0.5 m/s² or 9.1 m/s^1.75. | Directive 2002/44/EC, Art. 3(2)(a)-(b) | The whole-body inputs on the vibration tab; the tool uses the A(8) convention and does not compute the vibration dose value (VDV) convention. |
| Daily noise exposure level (LEX,8h): time-weighted average of the noise exposure levels for a nominal eight-hour working day as defined by international standard ISO 1999:1990, point 3.6; it covers all noises present at work, including impulsive noise. | Directive 2003/10/EC, Art. 2(b) | The LEX,8h result of the tool; the definition is tied to the same standard in the Union and in Türkiye, so the calculation engine does not change. |
The European Union values come from two directives: 2003/10/EC for noise and 2002/44/EC for mechanical vibration. The figures were read from the downloaded directive texts; for whole-body vibration the directive also allows a Member State to use a vibration dose value (VDV).
Legal basis — United Kingdom
| Obligation | Legal basis | How the tool covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Lower exposure action values: a daily or weekly personal noise exposure of 80 dB(A) and a peak sound pressure of 135 dB(C). | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(1) | The lower action value row of the tool. |
| Upper exposure action values: a daily or weekly personal noise exposure of 85 dB(A) and a peak sound pressure of 137 dB(C). | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(2) | The upper action value row and the peak sound pressure input of the tool. |
| Exposure limit values: a daily or weekly personal noise exposure of 87 dB(A) and a peak sound pressure of 140 dB(C). | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(3) | The limit value row of the tool. |
| Where an employee's exposure to noise varies markedly from day to day the employer may use weekly personal noise exposure in place of daily. | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(4) | The weekly reference period option in the input block. |
| The protection given by personal hearing protectors is taken into account only in applying the limit value, not in applying the lower and upper action values. | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(5) | The hearing protector caption under the result block. |
| For hand-arm vibration the daily exposure limit value is 5 m/s² A(8) and the daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8). | Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(1) | The hand-arm inputs and the A(8) result on the vibration tab. |
| For whole body vibration the daily exposure limit value is 1.15 m/s² A(8) and the daily exposure action value is 0.5 m/s² A(8). | Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, reg. 4(2) | The whole-body inputs and the A(8) result on the vibration tab. |
In Great Britain the noise values are set by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and the vibration values by the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. Peak noise values are expressed in dB(C); there is no vibration dose value option.
Legal basis — United States
| Obligation | Legal basis | How the tool covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Protection must be provided when sound levels exceed those in Table G-16: 90 dBA for 8 hours, 95 dBA for 4 hours, 100 dBA for 2 hours, 105 dBA for 1 hour and 115 dBA for a quarter of an hour or less. | 29 CFR 1910.95(a) and Table G-16 | The "permitted duration Tn" column of the page's OSHA comparison table. |
| For a mixed exposure of different levels, if the sum C1/T1 + C2/T2 + ... Cn/Tn exceeds unity the exposure is considered to exceed the limit value. | 29 CFR 1910.95, Table G-16 footnote 1 | The "partial dose Cn / Tn" column of the comparison table and the total dose D. |
| Exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed a 140 dB peak sound pressure level. | 29 CFR 1910.95, provision following Table G-16 | The optional peak sound pressure input in the input block. |
| Whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA, that is a dose of fifty percent, the employer must administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program; that level is called the action level. | 29 CFR 1910.95(c)(1) and (c)(2) | The source line under the comparison table: the 90 dBA Table G-16 gives for eight hours, action level 85 dBA. |
| The dose is computed as D = 100 (C1/T1 + C2/T2 + ... + Cn/Tn); the eight-hour time-weighted average is obtained from the dose by TWA = 16.61 × log10(D/100) + 90. | 29 CFR 1910.95 Appendix A, I(1)-(2) | The formula line printed under the comparison table. |
| When information indicates that an employee's exposure may equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employer must develop a monitoring program. | 29 CFR 1910.95(d)(1) | The tool's OSHA dose result; the page separately states that this figure has no legal effect in Türkiye. |
| Reference durations in Appendix A Table G-16a: 16 hours at 85 dBA, 8 hours at 90 dBA, 4 hours at 95 dBA, 2 hours at 100 dBA, 1 hour at 105 dBA, 0.5 hour at 110 dBA, 0.25 hour at 115 dBA. | 29 CFR 1910.95 Appendix A, Table G-16a | The source of the "Permitted duration Tn" column in the comparison table; the formula line writes it as Tn = 8 / 2^((L − 90) / 5). |
| Vibration is expressly named in the definition of a "harmful physical agent" in the standard on access to employee exposure and medical records: a physical stress (noise, heat, cold, vibration, repetitive motion, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, etc.) falls under the definition once it has yielded positive evidence of an acute or chronic health hazard in testing conducted by, or known to, the employer. The standard applies to each general industry, maritime and construction employer who makes, maintains, contracts for or has access to employee exposure records for employees exposed to such an agent, whether or not the records are mandated by a specific occupational safety and health standard. | Binding provision — 29 CFR 1910.1020(b)(1)-(2), (c)(13) and (c)(13)(ii) | The "hand-arm vibration, acceleration a (m/s²)" and "whole-body vibration, acceleration a (m/s²)" inputs on the vibration tab — the fields that turn the physical stress in question into a figure. |
| Workplace monitoring or measuring of a harmful physical agent — including personal, area or grab sampling, the collection and analytical methodologies, the calculations and the background data needed to interpret the result — is an "employee exposure record", and each employee exposure record shall be preserved and maintained for at least thirty (30) years. | Binding provision — 29 CFR 1910.1020(c)(5)(i) and (d)(1)(ii) | The tool's "daily exposure A(8)" result together with the caption below it, "the calculation is informational; the binding text is the regulation itself; exposure is established by measurement carried out under the risk assessment" — the record to be kept is that measurement, not the screen output. |
| In mines, Raynaud's phenomena and other conditions due to repeated motion, vibration or pressure are reported under occupational illness "Code 26 — Disorders Associated with Repeated Trauma" in item 23 of MSHA Form 7000-1. | Binding provision (mining) — 30 CFR 50.20-6(b)(7)(vi) | The hand-arm acceleration input and the "daily exposure A(8)" result on the vibration tab — the part that turns the exposure covered by that code into a figure. |
| NIOSH states that it cannot establish a specific quantitative exposure limit that would eliminate the risk of hand-arm vibration syndrome in all workers and for all types of vibrating tools; instead it recommends that exposure to hand-arm vibration be reduced to the lowest feasible acceleration levels and exposure times. | Criterion recommended by a federal agency, not a binding provision — NIOSH, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 89-106, Chapter I, Section 1 | The tool's "A(8) = a × √(T / 8)" formula and the "time to reach the action value" and "time to reach the limit value" columns — they show numerically how far lowering the acceleration or the duration lowers the exposure. |
| In the NIOSH recommendation three components shall be measured: acceleration, frequency (Hz) and duration of exposure (min/day or hr/day). The acceleration and frequency spectrum of each tool is measured when the tool is first put into use and at annual intervals thereafter; the total daily acceleration exposure is converted to a normalized four-hour amplitude in m/s², frequency unweighted. | Criterion recommended by a federal agency, not a binding provision — NIOSH 89-106, Chapter I, Sections 2(b), 2(d) and 2(e) | The vibration tab instruction "give the acceleration declared for the equipment or found by measurement, in m/s², together with the daily exposure duration" and the acceleration and duration inputs; the tool does not take a frequency spectrum as input and uses the eight-hour A(8) convention. |
| Work-practice recommendations for the control of vibration: reducing the number of hours a worker uses a vibrating tool during the workday, reducing the number of days per week the tool is used, and arranging work tasks so that vibrating and non-vibrating tools can be used alternately. | Criterion recommended by a federal agency, not a binding provision — NIOSH 89-106, Chapter I, Section 4(c) | The "hand-arm daily exposure duration" and "whole-body daily exposure duration" inputs on the vibration tab (hours/minutes) — changing the duration shows how far the "daily exposure A(8)" result drops. |
| All hand-held tools that produce vibration shall carry a label stating the frequency-unweighted acceleration level (m/s²) produced by the tool during normal operation; the manufacturer furnishes that figure. | Criterion recommended by a federal agency, not a binding provision — NIOSH 89-106, Chapter I, Section 5(a) | The wording "the acceleration declared for the equipment" in the input instruction — the tool accepts the m/s² value declared by the manufacturer as it stands. |
| For every worker occupationally exposed to vibrating tools a record is kept of: the type, model and manufacturer of the tools used, the acceleration data furnished by the manufacturer on the tool label, the daily use time of each type of tool and the number of hours, months and years it was used. Exposure monitoring records are retained for thirty years and medical monitoring records for the duration of employment plus thirty years. | Criterion recommended by a federal agency, not a binding provision — NIOSH 89-106, Chapter I, Sections 6(a) and 6(b) | The acceleration and daily duration inputs on the vibration tab together with the "daily exposure A(8)" result — the two data items the record is about and the figure they produce. |
The convention at the United States federal level is different: it starts from 90 dBA as an eight-hour time-weighted average and the permitted duration halves every 5 dB; that rate is written out in figures in 29 CFR 1910.95 Table G-16 and Appendix A Table G-16a. On the Turkish and European side LEX,8h is tied by Article 4(1)(b) of the Regulation and Article 2(b) of the Directive to TS 2607 ISO 1999 / ISO 1999:1990 clause 3.6; the halving every 3 dB comes from that standard's energy-equivalent basis and is not written in the enacting text. The same measurement therefore yields two different figures.