Occupational exposure to impulse noise associated with shooting

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Acoustics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Shooting sports involve substantial noise exposure, posing risks to hearing for participants and instructors.
• Understanding the acoustic environment is crucial for developing protective measures and optimizing training protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify noise exposure levels during various shooting training scenarios.
• To assess the cumulative acoustic load on professional shooters and coaches over a training year.
• To evaluate the utility of orthogonal, adaptive parameterization by Shur for scheduling safe training sessions.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic signals were recorded across different shooting ranges (10-, 25-, 50-m, and open-air).
• Data analysis employed orthogonal, adaptive parameterization by Shur.
• Sound peak pressure levels and impulse durations were measured.

Main Results:

• Single acoustic signals ranged from 250-800 ms in duration.
• C-weighted sound peak pressure levels were between 138.2-165.2 dB.
• Shooters can experience 600-1350 acoustic impulses per training session, totaling approximately 200,000 annually.

Conclusions:

• Shooting training presents a high risk of acoustic trauma due to intense and frequent noise impulses.
• The methodology allows for the precise measurement and analysis of noise exposure.
• Implementing safe scheduling based on these findings can mitigate hearing damage for professional shooters and coaches.