The sound panels have been a great addition to our safety equipment used at Hunter Valley Operations. Using them predominantly for air arc gouging sound suppression, they have been fantastic in reducing the noise exposure to those working in the immediate area. We have also been making use of them for welding screens and sound panels when performing tasks with excessively loud air tooling. While we have not performed before and after testing, the noise levels within 5m of the job have reduced significantly, to the point that you can hold a conversation whilst air arc gouging is taking place behind the screens.
The only downside is that they aren’t suitable for work above 2m above the ground. Meaning that the majority of gouging on the loaders are still exposing employees to excessive noise in the surrounding area. However, when the work is at ground level, the results are fantastic.