Quantitative noise analysis at two marble finishing plants in Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil.

In Olinda there are an estimated 50 marble quarries, 3 of which are members of the stone extraction and finishing industry's state union. The objective here is to quantitatively evaluate the noise present at the workplace in two of Olinda's unionized marble quarries. The data to be analyzed was collected during December 2010, this month representing one of the four busiest months of production. The samples were collected from Tuesdays to Fridays in order to avoid irregular outcomes. Instantaneous readings were taken with the decibel meter to identify points of Noise Pressure Level (NPL) higher than Action Level (AL). Afterwards, the full procedure for the characterization of noise level with the decibel meter in order to compare the Homogeneous Exposure Group (HEG) to those with High Risk Exposure (HRE) was initiated. The noisiest sources came from humid cutting machines, marble saws and polishing equipment. The activities of cutter and polisher became classified as follows: unsafe, in a critical situation and in need of priority control for the work environment with noise level values varying from 95.0 dB(A) to 103.3 dB(A), calling for the use of ear protection during the entire work day.

Application of preliminary risk analysis at marble finishing plants in Recife's metropolitan area.

The finishing of marble occurs in quarries all over Brazil, being the most significant dimension of the ornamental stone sector, with 7,000 businesses. Recife's Metropolitan Area (RMR) contains approximately 106 marble quarries, 25 of them unionized. The study focused on the application of Preliminary Risk Analysis, conducted at two unionized quarries: M1, a small business; and the second, M2, considered a micro enterprise. In this analysis both the administrative and the productive sectors were evaluated. The fieldwork was done in the month of December 2010. The study revealed that the two quarries carried moderate risks in the administrative sector, mainly due to ergonomic factors, and that in the productive sectors the risks were high, specifically because of excess noise, dust material, and precarious electrical installations. Using the results of the qualitative analysis as a base, the need for quantitative study presents itself in order to determine the most adequate modes of protection to be of assistance in the management of these risks, guaranteeing the safety and health of the worker and consequently the improvement in productivity in this sector.