Noise Level Survey on Board Ships and Adverse Effect
ABNORMAL NOISE LEVELS ON BOARD SHIPS AND ADVERSE EFFECT ON SEAFARERS HEALTH & SAFETY
We, Constellation Marine Services LLC as independent ship and marine surveyors do attend nominations from various clients to carry out the Noise Level survey. Recently we got a nomination from one of our clients to carry out the Noise level survey onboard an Anchor Handling Tug. Our Naval Architect/Marine Surveyor upon receipt of the instruction, arranged to attend an inspection onboard the subject vessel.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of noise level survey onboard ships is to provide a safe working condition by taking into consideration the need for verbal communication and to attend to audible alarms. Also to provide an environment where decisions on clear-heard instructions could be made at control stations, navigation bridges, radio room, and manned machinery spaces (Ex. Engine Control Room).
| No. | Designation of rooms & spaces | Noise Limit (dB) |
| 1. | Workspaces | |
| 1 | Machinery spaces | 110 |
| 2 | Machinery control rooms | 75 |
| 3 | Workshops | 85 |
| 4 | No.-specified workspaces | 85 |
| 2 | Accommodation | |
| 1 | Cabins & Hospitals | 60 |
| 2 | Mess Rooms | 65 |
| 3 | Recreation rooms/day rooms | 65 |
| 4 | Offices/treatment rooms | 65 |
| 5 | Open recreation spaces | 75 |
| 3 | Navigational spaces | |
| 1 | Navigational bridge & chartrooms | 65 |
| 2 | Listening/look-out posts, including navigational bridge | 70 |
| 3 | Separated radio rooms (with radio equipment operating but not producing audio signals) | 60 |
| 4 | Radar Rooms | 65 |
| 4 | Service spaces | |
| 1 | Galleys, without food processing equipment, operating | 75 |
| 2 | Serveries and pantries | 75 |
| 5 | Normally unoccupied spaces | |
| 1 | Spaces not specified | 90 |
| 2 | Suez crew room | 65 |
References:
- MSC 337(91); CODE ON NOISE ON BOARD SHIPS
- IMO Resolution A.468 (XII) – 11:1981; CODE ON NOISE

