Define the following terms from the language of hearing loss:

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Continuous noise - Noise of a constant level measured over at least one second using the "slow" setting on a sound level meter. Note that an intermittent noise (e.g., on for over a second and then off for a period) is both variable and continuous.
• Exchange rate - The relationship between intensity and dose. OSHA uses a 5-dB exchange rate. Thus, if the intensity of an exposure increases by 5 dB, the dose doubles. This may also be referred to as the doubling rate. The U.S. Navy uses a 4-dB exchange rate; the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force use a 3-dB exchange rate.
• Hearing threshold level - The hearing level, above a reference value, at which a specified sound or tone is heard by an ear in a specified fraction of the trials. Hearing threshold levels have been established so that dB HTL reflects the best hearing of a group of persons.
• Noise-induced hearing loss - A sensorineural hearing loss that is attributed to noise and for which no other etiology can be determined.
• Time-weighted average - A value computed so that the resulting average is equivalent to an exposure resulting from a constant noise level over an eight-hour period.