Electroacoustics. Specifications for personal sound exposure meters

1.1 Sound exposure is a physical measure that accounts for both the sound pressure and its duration, at a given location, through an integral-over-time of the square of instantaneous frequency-weighted sound pressure. 1.2 This International Standard is applicable to instruments for measurement of A-frequency-weighted sound exposure resulting from steady, intermittent, fluctuating, irregular, or impulsive sounds. Instruments complying with the specifications of this International Standard are intended to be worn on a person to measure sound exposure. Measurements of sound exposure in the workplace may be useful for determinations of occupational noise exposure, in accordance with ISO 1999 and ISO 9612. 1.3 This International Standard specifies acoustical and electrical performance requirements for personal sound exposure meters of one accuracy grade. The accuracy grade corresponds to that for an integrating sound level meter which complies with the Type 2 requirements of IEC 804 for an A-weighted sound pressure level range from 80 dB to 130 dB and a nominal frequency range from 63 Hz to 8 kHz. 1.4 Tolerances on deviations of an instrument’s performance from specified design goals represent the performance capabilities of practical instruments. Personal sound exposure meters are required to operate within the tolerances of this International Standard over specified ranges of environmental conditions.