Quality, Noise and the Environment, 1998 Corrugated Containers Conference Proceedings

Operator hearing protection programmes in the USA are personal protection orientated i.e. ear muffs or plugs and insurance companies are increasingly aware of legal claims for industrial deafness. TAPPI members have the working environment and quality fixed firmly in their sights and understands that an integrated corporate policy is necessary to deal with these issues, especially noise.

Creating and keeping employee exposure data on the 83,600 box board workers is essential if future claims are to be avoided. Operator hearing protection in Europe is based on engineering measures with personal ear protection providing backup and is probably 20 years in front of the USA in reducing operator exposure to noise by engineering. Acoustic enclosures control the dust and fumes reducing building decay whilst stopping noise spreading through out the plant. Proven noise control solutions are available today for all BoxBoard equipment and when used with personal hearing protection devices ensures those operators are protected. The well-established single facer enclosure deals with the plants primary noise source. To some extent the introduction of control rooms adjacent to the dry end has helped this developing noise situation. The Green Corrugator is the ultimate solution and provides complete environmental control of the corrugator from the facers at the wet end to the stacker at the dry end Noise control on converting equipment has progressed with bolt on accessories however many of the new eneration converting machines have these features built in. Before Noise control programmes can be efficiently introduced the company’s corporate policy must be in place, with a committed management supported by budgets. Future production will be incredibly efficient if survival is to be guaranteed with quality products being produced in a quality environment attracting quality customers who demand higher levels of hygiene than ever before.