What does 85 dBA mean, and is my workplace over it?

Reading the number

dB is decibels, the unit of sound level. The A means the meter is weighted to match how the human ear hears, so it discounts very low and very high pitches. 85 dBA Lex means an average of 85 dBA across an eight-hour shift, which is the WorkSafeBC exposure limit set in section 7.2 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. A quieter job with short loud bursts and a steady 85 dBA job can both hit the limit. There is a second limit for impact noise: a peak of 140 dBC, the kind of level a nail gun or a hammer on steel can reach.

The one-metre rule

The quickest field check needs no equipment. Stand a metre from a coworker and talk normally. If you both have to raise your voices to be understood, the noise around you is probably at or above 85 dBA. If you have to shout, it is well over.

Everyday comparisons

Approximate levels, for a sense of scale rather than a measurement:

• Normal conversation: about 60 dBA
• Busy traffic, vacuum cleaner: 70 to 80 dBA
• Forklift, lawn mower, busy shop floor: 85 to 90 dBA
• Table saw, angle grinder, pressure washer: 95 to 105 dBA
• Chainsaw, pneumatic tools, nail gun: 105 to 120 dBA

Because decibels are logarithmic, small numbers mean big differences. Every 3 dB roughly doubles the sound energy, which halves the time a worker can safely be exposed. At 88 dBA the safe day is four hours; at 91 dBA, two.

Finding out for certain

The Regulation asks employers to measure noise where workers may be over the limit. A noise survey with a calibrated sound level meter, or dosimetry where a worker wears a small meter for a shift, gives you the actual numbers by area and by job. We offer noise surveys, and they pair naturally with a testing visit: measure the floor, then test the people on it. Ask about a noise survey when you request a booking.

If you are over the limit

You need a hearing conservation program under section 7.5: noise measurement, worker training, engineered noise control where practicable, hearing protection (section 7.7), posted noise hazard areas, hearing tests within six months of hire and at least every 12 months (section 7.8), and an annual review. The annual hearing test is the piece with an outside deadline, and it is where we come in. We test on site, two workers at a time, explain each result, and submit to WorkSafeBC. Send a headcount and we will get you dates.