Western Australian Consolidated Regulations Western Australian Consolidated Regulations[Regulation 22]
Rules for sound level measuring equipment
In this Schedule,
references to AS Z41‑1969 and clauses of that standard, are, when AS/NZS
4476:1997, Acoustics — Octave‑band and
fractional‑octave‑band filters comes into operation, to be read as
references to the second‑mentioned standard and the relevant clauses of
that standard.
2. Sound level measuring instruments
(1) Sound level
measuring instruments must meet or exceed the requirements of the relevant
sections of AS 1259.1‑1990 Sound Level Meters Part 1:
Non‑‑integrating for type 0, type 1 or type 2 meters.
(2) In addition to the
requirements of subclause (1), sound level measuring instruments which
include integrating functions must meet or exceed the requirements of the
relevant sections of AS 1259.2‑1990 Sound Level Meters Part 2:
Integrating for type 0, type 1 or type 2 meters, as applicable to
the integrating functions.
(3) Sound level
measuring instruments not covered by subclauses (1) and (2), including
magnetic tape recorders, level recorders, spectrum analysers and computers,
must meet or exceed the relevant performance requirements of a type 2 sound
level meter.
(4) Filter sets used
with any sound level meter must meet or exceed the requirements specified in
clauses 7 and 8.1(a) of AS Z41‑1969 Octave, Half Octave and
One Third Octave Band Pass Filters Intended for the Analysis of Sound and
Vibrations.
(5) Standard sound
sources (acoustic calibrators and piston phones) used for field performance
checks must meet or exceed the relevant requirements of IEC Standards
Publication 942‑1988 for class 2 sound sources.
3. Calibration of sound level measuring
instruments
(1) In this
clause —
approved calibration laboratory means a
calibration laboratory —
(a)
registered with the National Association of Testing Authorities
(“NATA”) for the calibration of sound level measuring instruments
in accordance with the relevant provisions of AS 1259‑1990, AS
Z41‑‑1969 and IEC Standards Publication 942‑1988; or
(b)
approved by the Chief Executive Officer for calibration of sound level
measuring instruments in accordance with the relevant provisions of AS
1259‑1990, AS Z41‑1969 and IEC Standards Publication
942‑1988 or for calibration of instruments used for the measurement of
airblast under clause 5.
(2) A sound level
measuring instrument must not be used for the purposes of these regulations
unless —
(a) the
instrument has been calibrated in an approved calibration laboratory within
the 2 year period immediately preceding the date of its use; and
(b) the
owner or a person in control of the laboratory has issued a
certificate —
(i)
identifying the laboratory undertaking the calibration;
(ii)
identifying the instrument by type, manufacturer and
serial number;
(iii)
recording the date of calibration;
(iv)
certifying that the calibration procedures followed were
in accordance with the terms of the NATA registration of the laboratory or the
procedures specified in the approval of the laboratory by the Chief Executive
Officer;
(v)
certifying that the sound level measuring instrument
complies with the relevant provisions of AS 1259‑1990, AS
Z41‑1969 and IEC Standards Publication 942‑1988; and
(vi)
specifying the standard or standards, and the clause
numbers of the standard or standards, against which the instrument has been
calibrated.
(3) The certificate
referred to in subclause (2)(b) is not required to give detailed results
of individual tests but must provide sufficient information to indicate that
the instrument has met the relevant requirements of the standards against
which it was calibrated.
(1) A sound level
measuring instrument —
(a) must
be subjected to field performance checks using a standard sound source that
complies with clause 2(5) as nearly as practicable immediately prior to,
and immediately after, a measurement or set of measurements is to be, or has
been, made using the instrument;
(b) must
indicate, after adjustment of its sensitivity if necessary and before it is
used to make measurements, the stated level of the standard sound source
within + or ‑ 0.5 dB; and
(c) must
indicate, without further adjustment of its sensitivity, the stated level of
the standard sound source within + or ‑ 0.5 dB after the instrument is
used.
(2) If the sound level
measuring instrument does not comply with subclause (1) the results of
the measurement made by the instrument must not be used.
5. Instrument used for measurement of airblast
levels
(1) For the purposes
of regulation 11, airblast levels resulting from blasting must be
measured using sound level measuring instruments having the capability to
measure in linear peak hold (L Linear peak ) mode.
(2) Sound level
measuring instruments which are used for measuring airblast levels from
blasting must, in addition to being calibrated in accordance with
clause 3 and checked in accordance with clause 4 —
(a) be
calibrated to establish that their sensitivity remains within + 0 dB and
‑ 3 dB of the sensitivity at 100 Hz when tested at selected frequencies
within the range 2 Hz to 10 Hz; and
(b) have
an upper frequency response of at least 500 Hz.
(3) Sound level
measuring instruments which do not meet the requirements of subclause (2)
must not be used for airblast measurements.