Parametric method for the noise risk assessment of Professional orchestral musicians

Background: The Occupational Health and Safety literature shows that noise could represent a risk factor for Professional orchestral musicians. The continuative exposition to elevated noise levels and the particular nature of the activity make necessary an ‘atypical’ OH&S approach, which was identified to be necessarily organizational. Methods: In this study a parametric-based method for orchestral exposure assessment and management has been developed. The goal is to achieve a predictive tool to involve safety in the decision making of concert season programme. After setting the parameters, project's hypothesis have been defined and then validated through a yearly-scale monitoring on an important European symphonic orchestra. Moreover, workers' exposure has been assessed from the parametric study and by a wide measurement campaign. Results: A general validation of the method has been obtained by the verification of main parameters (repertoire, headcount and disposition) significant influence on the sound pressure levels produced by the orchestra. Exposure levels comparable to literature trends for symphonic orchestras have been observed, with criticalities among brass musicians which is the only group exceeding the upper exposure action values. Conclusions: This research has emphasized that the exposure condition of musicians can be critical and requires the implementation of improvement plans. The study has shown that the predictive analysis can be carried out on parameters describing the concert’s emissive characteristics. The future development of research currently under study will focus on concert’s pieces and the use of parameters as indicators of the exposure context.