Buy Quiet is an American health and safety initiative to select and purchase the lowest noise emitting

power tool A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed ...

s and

machine A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...

ry in order to reduce occupational and community noise exposure. Buy Quiet Programs are examples of

noise control Noise control or noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution or to reduce the impact of that noise, whether outdoors or indoors. Overview The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, ...

strategies. Buy Quiet is part of the larger Hearing Loss Prevention Program, and is an example of Prevention Through Design, which seeks to reduce occupational injury through prevention considerations in designs that impact workers. Organizations that have embarked upon the buy-quiet initiative are moving towards the creation of an environment and workplace where there will be no harmful noise. Many companies are automating equipment or setting up procedures that can be operated by workers from a quiet control room free from harmful noise, chemical agents, and heat. Some of such companies that been recognized for their demonstrated results from noise control and Buy Quiet initiatives, with a

Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award The Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award is an occupational health and safety award that was established in 2007 through a partnership between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National ...

The objectives of this award are to recognize effective and innovative initiatives, and to share that information to a broader community.

Health effects from noise

Noise-induced hearing loss Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a hearing impairment resulting from exposure to loud sound. People may have a loss of perception of a narrow range of frequencies or impaired perception of sound including sensitivity to sound or ringing i ...

is an irreversible condition that is 100% preventable, and over 30 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the job, which makes them susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss and

tinnitus Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no corresponding external sound is present. Nearly everyone experiences a faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely quiet room; but it is of concern only if it is bothersome, interferes with normal hearin ...

is also the most common occupational illness in the United States. The

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...

recommends that workers be exposed to no more than 85 dB per eight hours per day.

The EPA Buy Quiet Program (1970s–80s)

A formal Buy Quiet program of the late 1970s and early 1980s was a cooperative effort of the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...

(EPA), the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), and the

National League of Cities The National League of Cities (NLC) is an advocacy organization in the United States that represents the country's 19,495 cities, towns, and villages along with 49 state municipal leagues. Created in 1924, it has evolved into a leading membership ...

(NLC). This program represented a marked departure from the regulatory approach that the U.S. Government still uses to compel the manufacture and sales of products that are less harmful to human health. Instead of regulations, the EPA/NIGP/NLC initiative used the power of high volume procurements by governments at all levels to stimulate a market demand for quiet products. This market-based, incentive-driven approach enabled federal, state, and local governments to purchase quieter products and equipment at competitive prices, by awarding procurements to the lowest "effective bid price”. The effective bid price adjusted the monetary bid price by the sound level of the bidder's equipment in comparison to the average level of all bidders' proposals. Products purchased under this program included construction equipment, lawn and garden equipment, trash trucks/compactors, chain saws, and similar noise generating equipment. The program was part of an initiative to help localities create "quiet communities". States and localities that participated were encouraged also to promote similar Buy Quiet procurements by private sector organizations in their jurisdictions as a way of "spreading" the market. The EPA/NIGP/NLC Buy Quiet program extended the concepts of "social marketing" to include the creation of markets for socially and environmentally responsible products. It did this by combining incentivized procurements with the development of a national database of buy quiet purchases available to all interested parties. This database demonstrated that incentivized procurements could achieve quiet products at competitive prices. The lowest "bid price" was most often the lowest "effective bid price" and quiet products were indicative of high quality and high performing products. The incentive mechanism was also used to purchase low maintenance and low energy products, and is adaptable to other sustainable product initiatives. The Buy Quiet program ended with the dissolution of the Office of Noise Abatement and Control in EPA during the Reagan Administration.

Contemporary Buy Quiet programs

NYC

In July 2007, New York City’s

Department of Environmental Protection This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies with a variety of titles and responsibilities are included, e.g. Department of Environment, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of E ...

promulgated rules concerning citywide construction

noise mitigation Noise control or noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution or to reduce the impact of that noise, whether outdoors or indoors. Overview The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, ...

. These new rules reward contractors deploying tools and machinery that use the best available noise control technologies, are designed for quiet, or are known to be the quietest available models of their type. The

New York City Department of Environmental Protection The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's water supply and works to reduce air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. Under a 1.3 billion do ...

released a products and vendor guidance sheet in order to assist contractors for achieving compliance with the New York City Noise Regulations.

NASA

In 2006, the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding ...

(NASA) codified a Buy Quiet program. In 2009 NASA implemented an online tool called the NASA Buy-Quiet Roadmap.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH) researchers developed a Buy Quiet prevention initiative intended to facilitate the implementation of Buy Quiet programs for the construction and manufacturing sectors. As a part of this, NIOSH created a searchable database describing noise emission levels of powered hand tools. The database is called the NIOSH Power Tools Database. In 2014, NIOSH officially launched
Buy Quiet website
and blog to promote the purchase of quieter tools and equipment. The initiative also aims to encourage manufacturers to design quieter equipment. The intention of Buy Quiet programs is to reduce the risk of hearing loss at the worksite. Buy Quiet programs seek to minimize the impact of noise on communities and help companies comply with OSHA and other noise regulation requirements as well. Additionally, Buy Quiet concepts may reduce the long-term costs of audiometric testing, personal protective equipment, and workers’ compensation. NIOSH suggests Buy Quiet programs contain the following elements: # An inventory of existing machinery and tools with corresponding noise levels. The company’s purchaser can use the inventory to compare noise levels of equipment before buying or renting. The inventory can also be used for assisting, tracking, and promoting a company’s Buy Quiet purchases. # A Buy Quiet company policy or procedure. Policy can be an easy and effective way for employers to show commitment to protecting the hearing and well-being of their employees by using the best equipment available. # Educational materials and promotional tools. These resources should be designed to help inform employees, management, customers, and the community about the importance and benefits of Buy Quiet. NIOSH has developed a series of posters for public use. # Cost-Benefit Analysis of Buy Quiet programs. The quieter piece of equipment may be the least expensive when all life cycle costs of the machinery, possible workers’ compensation claims, costs associated with a company’s hearing conservation program, costs of healthcare (such as hearing aids), and lost productivity are counted. NIOSH estimates a savings of $100 per decibel reduced when purchasing a quieter machine.

Laborers' Health and Safety Fund

Th
Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America
indicates buying quieter equipment as a cost-effective way to reduce noise at a construction worksite in its Best Practices Guide on Controlling Noise on Construction Sites.

References

External links

NIOSH Power Tools Sound Pressure and Vibrations Database

NIOSH Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention Topic Page

NYC DEP Approved Vendor List

NYC DEP Noise Homepage

Laborers' Health and Safety Fund – Noise

NASA Buy Quiet Roadmap

NASA Procedures Requirements (NPR) Document, NPR 1800.1, Chapter 4

NIOSH Buy Quiet Topic Page

NIOSH Prevention through Design(PtD)

NIOSH Science Blog Buy Quiet Update
+ + Construction industry of the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Economy and the environment