Insulation Advances: Mitigating noise and CUI in your processing plants
When one thinks about potential hazards in an industrial setting such as a refinery, petrochemical plant, or LNG terminal, elevated noise levels might not be a primary concern. But in fact, occupational hearing loss is a more common, and serious, work-related hazard than many may realise. One main reason why elevated noise is ignored or goes unnoticed is that the adverse effects of elevated noises are not always immediate and can build up over time.
In a plant, noise can originate from several sources within piping systems and equipment:
- Flow induced turbulence.
- Cavitation and flashing.
- Pumps and compressors.
- Pressure fluctuations.
- Valves or other pressure-reducing devices.
- Change of pipe diameter.
Regardless of the source, heightened noise levels are harmful to the well-being and productivity of a plant’s personnel as well as the surrounding environment. By some estimates, approximately 22 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work on an annual basis. Repeated exposure to loud noise, which is typically defined as noise levels high enough to require workers to speak in raised voices to be heard, can lead to a range of long-term problems — both for the individual worker and for the efficiency of plant operations.
Download this white paper to learn how proper selection and installation of insulating materials can bring noise levels down at less than 50% of the thickness.