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July 2015 Newsletter
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New dBadge2 Noise Dosimeter

dbadge2 noise dosimeter

The dBadge range of noise dosimeters has just been expanded with the addition of the new dBadge2 model. This new model takes the existing dBadge features (small, robust) and adds a colour display, more detailed data logging and more noise analysis options.

In our opinion the most important new features of dBadge2 are those to deal with workers who invalidate the results, often without even realising it. When making noise measurements we all take great care to ensure the noise levels are representative of a typical working day. With a dosimeter you are not there to do that.

Please see the Addressing Tampering section to see how the dBadge2 makes this a problem of the past.

Addressing Tampering

While a dosimeter is ideal for monitoring a worker's true exposure to noise, the only concern is that the measurements might be tampered with - usually by accident (whistling, shouting) but sometimes to prove a point.

An employee might not want to wear the dosimeter and simply take it off. Some might want to prove that the workplace is too noisy, others might want to prove there is no noise issue so they don't have to wear hearing protection. The problem is that you just don't know what happened in your absence.

The dBadge2 addresses these issues head on:

  • Lockable keypad to prevent accidental button pushes
  • Lockable display to deter whistling just to see the numbers change
  • Motion sensor to check whether the dosimeter was being worn
  • Time history with a 1 second plot - was it left in a noisy or quiet place?
  • Audio recording option - perfect to determine the actual cause of high noise levels
  • Mobile phone application to check measurement progress without disturbing the worker
noise dosimeter

Connectivity

While the usual measurement process involves using the keypad on the dBadge2 and downloading to a computer using the docking station, you can also use the free Airwave application to start, stop and pause the dosimeter. You can also check the measurement progress and noise levels so far.

The Airwave application runs on an Android phone or tablet (Apple application expected soon) and connects to the dBadge2 using Bluetooth.