Field Comparison of Gas-Powered vs. Battery-Powered Equipment for Grounds Maintenance - Hedge Trimming Operations

摘要

American landscaping workers use a variety of noise-producing equipment and are at a high-risk for hearing loss. Although an effective control strategy is to replace noisy equipment with quieter alternatives, the most common method of hearing loss prevention in the United States is the use of hearing protectors. This reliance on hearing protectors often stems from lack of enforced regulations and the absence of product noise labels. However, one company has successfully implemented a buy quiet program for the task of hedge trimming. This presentation summarizes a field comparison of workers' noise exposure for two hedge-trimming crews: 1) one using gas-powered equipment and 2) the other using battery-powered equipment. Dosimetry and sound level measurements show that the crew using battery-powered equipment had significantly lower noise exposures than the crew using gasoline-powered versions. Furthermore, the management of this hedge-trimming crew provided researchers with information regarding evaluating the feasibility of switching over to battery-powered equipment and their systematic approach to buying quieter equipment.