Table 1.
LEQ levels (dBA) during select firefighting job types measured in fire departments in rural Michigan and suburban California
| Job type | Equipment/tasks* | Rural Michigan | Suburban California | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N task-based meas.** | Mean | SD | Max | N task-based meas. ** | Mean | SD | Max | ||
| Total | 21 | 70 | |||||||
| Ventilation | Sawing metal | 1 | 91.8 | -- | -- | 4 | 104.9 | 5.3 | 111 |
| Sawing concrete | 1 | 108.5 | -- | -- | 6 | 106.1 | 4.1 | 111.6 | |
| Sawing wood/dry wall | 2 | 108.9 | 1.2 | 109.7 | 4 | 105.5 | 8.7 | 113.9 | |
| Operating electric blower | 1 | 87.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Operating electric blower | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 93.5 | 6.6 | 105.4 | |
| Operating gas blower | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 97.0 | 3.7 | 102.4 | |
| Vehicle extraction | Using pneumatic chisel to open vehicle | 2 | 106.2 | 11.9 | 114.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Using hydraulic spreader to open vehicle | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 90.3 | 3.9 | 97.6 | ||
| Preparation at scene | Setting outriggers and ladders | 2 | 82.0 | 3.3 | 84.3 | 19 | 89.5 | 4.3 | 97.1 |
| Fire suppression | Suppress fire, monitor water supply, search for embers | 4 | 90.8 | 4.3 | 95.6 | 4 | 89.1 | 4.0 | 93 |
| Operating fire engine | Respond to scene in cab | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 84.0 | 5.4 | 96.3 |
| Siren (inside cab) | 1 | 98.2 | -- | -- | |||||
| Siren (outside cab) | 2 | 115.0 | 1.0 | 115.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Test personal safety system | Test personal alert safety system alarm | 3 | 101.0 | 7.4 | 109.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Check and fill SCBA | Check and fill self-contained breathing apparatus equipment | 2 | 87.7 | 6.1 | 92.0 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Fire station | Break room measurement | 1 | 66.7 | -- | -- | 1 | 68.4 | -- | -- |
*
All measurements of tasks and equipment represent personal exposures at the ear except the fire station measurement, which was an area measurement made in the center of a large break room occupied by several firefighters.
**
Each measurement represents a separate instance of the specific task shown