I'm hoping someone might be able to advise on this. I work in a 130,000 sq foot open plan factory (designed to be a warehouse) we have about half a dozen forklifts running about all day which 2 of them are 7 ton LPG units (they are quite noisy but sound awesome), none of these are an issue. The problem we are facing is the Toyota Traigo 35, has an insanely loud reversing alarm, some of us engineers have open offices on the shop floor, the Toyota reversing alarm can be running for hours and its like working next to a domestic smoke alarm, its driving us insane and likely the reason we all have tinnitus, it can even be heard 2 streets away in a residential area, sadly the management are work-shy and arrogant so they are neither interested in our or any neighboring complaints.
I've surreptitiously measured the volume from about 10 metres away and seems to be about 90 - 95dB, the ambient noise level is a fairly constant 62dB.
This place has over 70 CCTV camera's constantly watching us for evidence so I can't stick tape over the sounder, actually I can't visibly see the alarm and anyway it would be seen as tampering with it if there was an incident.
The health and safety are only concerned with covering its legal liabilities and there is zero welfare here hence they have just set it at full bore to cover themselves, so, what I guess what I'm asking is
A. is there a rule of thumb for what the volume should be set to and
B. can the volume be adjusted, I'm guessing a modern unit like this can have a laptop plugged in during a service and the volume set to any desired level?
I've actually almost been hit by this forklift as the reversing alarm can be heard at pretty much the same volume wherever it is in the factory so its necessary for your own sanity to try to block it out, one day a blue light on the ground appeared from around a corner in front of me so I stopped just in time, I think this proves the alarm is too loud, a quieter alarm similar to all the other forklifts in use would have alerted me to the machine being in the near vicinity.
I did once send the management a link to a white noise reversing alarm and another unit that adjusts to the background noise level but there was no interest.
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After a thorough search I can't find anything documented, from what I understand we need to wear hearing protection when any noise is above 85dB, hearing protection consists of a single pair of ear defenders that I've brought in from home, even so it makes it **** hard to take a phone call, teams meetings are quite special a well!
I'm trying to tread carefully with the management at the moment as I recently had to threaten legal action to get them to purchase a a low cost but crucial tool so someone could carry out their job, this resulted in me being taken to one side and shouted at for a full ten minutes, and no, they still didn't get the tool!
As far as health and safety are concerned if we raise anything they get defensive and hostile.......not ideal.
Realistically its looking like I might be using sticky tape against my better judgment, I think there might be small camera blind spot when the truck is on charge.
What's your ohsa regulations on safe decibels?
Maybe you could claim it's at a too high for safe hearing...lol...gl
OK, it looks like some clown must have spec'd the sounder to be the 110dB unit. Sadly, there is no less noisy spot as its basically an open where-house and at this sound level it just fills the space and anyway we don't get a choice of were to work. I can't get any tape on it as there are at least 6 CCTV cameras watching every inch of the place (its kind of a cross between penton Ville and a Victorian workhouse but with lower welfare standards!).
I did send details of a smart alarm to the management but as it involves spending money or actually doing something it aint happening.
So for my own sanity I can buy a Toyota smart reversing alarm out of my own pocket for a about £58, now that's the easy bit, if I try to get permission from the management to swap it they'll refuse out of awkwardness, if I go through health and safety they won't allow the forklift to be modified from its 'supplied' condition as they are only interested in not getting sued, If I just swap it over 'big brother' will spot me and I'll be sacked within the hour, so I need to find a way to get permission, If I can print something to the effect that this is not breaking any laws and will actually work more effectively and it won't cost them anything and the management wont have to drag them selves away from a white board there's a tiny chance I might succeed.
Does anyone know where the alarm is actually situated on the vehicle? I can't see anything on the rear, it must be on the rear as the sound level is most excruciating when its reversing strait at you, I'm guessing it's been made tamperproof to stop desperate people from sticking tape on it, I haven't been able to look under the forklift as it draws to much attention.
Edit, I've found this that makes interesting reading;
https://rack-n-stak.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Fork-Lift-Truck-Safety-Fitting-of-Lights-Flashing-Beacons-Reversing-Alarms-and-Mirrors.pdf
Edit 2, It looks like the sounder is under the left rear wheel well, its open to the elements, I think it could easily get clogged with mud or something....... I just need an invisibility cloak.
Look into a smart alarm they adjust alarm to background noise ie low noise low alarm
Do not tape
No adjustment..tape or move to less noisy spot
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