Project descriptions and progress to date from
Noise Induced Hearing Loss in Occupational Motorcyclists
Chris Jordan, University of Ulster
The exposed population of occupational motorcyclists is significant. UK Numbers total over 25,000 with the majority of occupational motorcyclists being couriers, professional racers and police motorcycle officers. World-wide the number of occupational motorcyclists is estimated to be in the region of 2 million.
The measurement of noise levels under motorcycle helmets is by no means an easy task. The methodology used consisted of a miniature microphone placed over the rider’s ear canal which fed to a calibrated DAT recorder. Both sound pressure level and frequency analysis of the wind noise was then obtained from the tape. The motorcycles and helmets tested were similar to that used by occupational motorcyclists. These included the modification of a number of helmets, variety of motorcycle styles, helmet types and configurations. This took over 6 months and the results were analysed and useful conclusions have been drawn as follows;
- the noise level the rider is exposed too at over 40 mph is predominantly wind noise, under 40 mph the noise level is predominantly from the tyres, road, engine etc.
- for most motorcycle configurations, the rider is exposed to 90 dB(A) from as little as 35 mph rising to 110 dB(A) at 70 mph.
- the difference between various helmet styles (open or closed face) and motorcycle styles (naked or faired) made little difference to the noise exposure level.
- as a daily dose value, all occupational motorcyclists tested exceeded the second action level of the Noise at Work Regulations.
I am currently studying the noise exposure levels of American police motorcyclists in Mississippi and the surrounding states. Provisional testing has shown that they are exposed to slightly higher levels than their UK counterparts as the helmets they use, ‘skull caps’, do not cover the ears.
The measurement of noise level contribution from radio communication headsets is the next area of research. A pilot study has already been completed and the full study will commence at the beginning of June.
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Housing Transfer and the Impact on the Strategic role of Local Authorities
Robert Cogings, Derbyshire Dales District Council & Sheffield Hallam University
Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) is an option local authorities are encouraged to consider when developing plans for sustained improvement of Council Housing. Despite the reported successes achieved by over 150 such transfers of Council stock to new Housing Associations, and various other forms of transfer, there is a lack of reported knowledge of the impact of LSVT.
This research will attempt to show that LSVT has a detrimental affect on the strategic housing functions of local authorities. Reference to private sector housing services is particularly relevant given its prominence in the new role of LSVT local authorities. Councils who have transferred their stock are often faced with the prospect of delivering the continuing housing functions, when many of the original housing staff having transferred to the newly formed housing association. Housing responsibilities are often sidelined within a larger Council department with little or no direct officer representation at a senior level.
A key Government aim in encouraging local authorities to stock transfer is the separation of the management role of social housing, from the strategic role of the local authority. Reported assessments of Council performance have indicated that local authorities have not benefited from this separation.
The Strategic Housing role of a local authority following transfer has a greater emphasis on the work of private sector housing services. The outputs of such services together with other assessments will be used as markers to assess performance before and after transfer.
A case study approach is planned which will focus on a small number of similar rural authorities within the East Midlands Region.
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Noise Complaints: A local Authority Perspective
Stephen Grime, Borough of Telford and Wrekin and University of Birmingham
Whilst the numbers of noise complaints made to the UK local authorities is now reported to be levelling off after many years of increase, the current figure is approximately ten times greater than 15 years ago. For the last 60 years researchers have had a keen interest in the quantification of what makes sound develop into noise. The answer remains as elusive today as it did 60 years ago. A plethora of differing noise metrics have been developed to characterise any noise. Unfortunately each of these is only useful in describing the noise characteristics for which the descriptors were developed.
To understand why people complain about noise it is necessary to investigate (i) if there are any links between the social data for the area and the number of complaints from that area and (ii) if there are any common themes as to why persons complain. This is the main aim of this project.
The first strand uses the GIS system. The use of mapping techniques will allow social data to be overlaid with complaint data. The data will then be analysed to look for any statistical associations. There are at least six social indicators in use within the UK, each with a subset of individual parameters that can all have differing weightings within the social indicator.
The second major strand to the research is to use qualitative methods. The use of semi-structured interviews with people who have complained about noise to the local authority; this should allow any common themes to be identified. These themes could then be used in the formation of hypotheses to provide further insight into the nature of the complaints made.
Four years of noise complaint data have been collected so far. These show distinct groupings in areas of high housing density. They are, however, higher than would normally be expected. The best fit of data appears to be with the “Townsend Score” social indicator (r = 0.4). There are, however, problems because of incomplete data. Some values of the dependent values are null. If these are included the line of best fit is quadratic. If excluded the fit becomes closer to linear. More data may provide clarification to this.
It becomes apparent when the data is analysed that it is very rare that the complainant lives adjacent to the perpetrator of the noise. Whilst the reasons for the complaints vary, it is common to find that the complainant has suffered other problems in the near past. These are often found to be contributory factors in their decision to complain.
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Counterfactual thinking following slipping and tripping accidents
Paul Lehane, London Borough of Bromley and London Metropolitan University
After an unwanted outcome e.g. an accident, people seem to spontaneously engage in counterfactual thinking; that is, they think about how things could have been different, sometimes referred to as “if only.....” thoughts. Thus to bring about a different outcome, an antecedent event is identified and then changed. For example, if you miss your flight due to a traffic jam on the motorway, you may think, ‘if only I had left earlier I would have caught my flight’. Previous research has looked at various aspects of the antecedent chosen for change. These have included ‘counterfactual direction’ (is a better or worse outcome chosen), is an action or inaction selected for change, is the outcome achieved by adding or subtracting something from the original sequence of events. Almost all of the previous research has used psychology students in the experiments and few have involved occupational accidents.
This research seeks to validate the existing general research findings against populations of people who have a real but varied psychological involvement with occupational accidents including safety professionals, managers and accident subjects. The first stage of the research will be undertaken by way of a scenario-based questionnaire using a slipping and tripping accident in a supermarket with manipulations of outcome injury severity (minor -vserious) and amount of information provided to the respondent (minimal -v- maximum). Participants will read the scenario and answer a range of questions including completing a sentence “If only .................things could have been different”. The responses to this will be coded and compared.
Data collection is underway and a good response has been obtained from the safety professional population; accident subjects and managers are currently being recruited. It is anticipated that this phase will be completed by late summer 2003. Analysis of the data will follow and a further phase of research will be based on the results. It is likely that this will involve a more qualitative approach. The research hypothesis is that there will be differences in the way the three populations apply counterfactual thinking to slipping and tripping accidents, and that safety professionals will focus on mattes that are earlier in the antecedent chain than managers. Managers will focus change on the actions of the accident subject but safety professionals will focus on inactions rather than actions.
The research is currently in its second year (part time). For further details see "Counterfactual thinking following slipping and tripping accidents".
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Sunbed Salons: An investigation into the knowledge of the risks and precautions taken by proprietors of sunbed salons in the City of Leeds
Paul Barnwell, Leeds City Council and Nottingham Trent University
This project will review the literature to indicate the extent of health issues surrounding the sunbed industry, investigate the current extent of knowledge, information and precautions in place in Leeds sunbed salons (including the use of risk assessments) and investigate methods of producing information and educational systems to ensure information and training materials are available in Leeds sunbed salons.
The methods will include;
- Contact with relevant bodies both in UK and abroad including HEA, HSE, CIEH, Sunbed Association, press, manufactures, trade associations, local authorities and other research projects in this study area.
- Developing a questionnaire relevant to the sunbed industry in order to investigate the present state of knowledge, information and precautions already in place in the sun tanning salon businesses in Leeds.
- Personal visits to approximately fifty sunbed salons within the Leeds City Council area to carry out structured interviews with proprietors to assess their awareness, understanding and knowledge of health issues and risks of sunbeds, including the legal requirements under Health and Safety legislation.
Using the information collected from the literature review and structured interviews/questionnaire it is intended to produce a ‘Code of Practice’ for sunbed salons and a ‘Tool Kit’ for use by proprietors when carrying out risk assessments.
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