Associate Safety Professional Practice Exam

What is a characteristic of continuous noise levels?

1. Variation occurs less than once per second

2. Variation occurs more than once per second

3. Noise is intermittent

4. Noise is not perceivable

The correct answer is: Variation occurs more than once per second

Continuous noise levels are characterized by the consistent presence of sound energy that does not significantly fluctuate within short time intervals. The correct choice indicates that variation in such noise occurs more than once per second, which aligns with the definition of continuous noise. In the context of industrial or environmental noise, this means that while there may be slight changes in intensity or frequency, the noise is predominantly stable and persistent. This characteristic is important in settings like manufacturing or urban environments, where understanding and managing noise exposure is crucial for health and safety. When considering the other options, variation occurring less than once per second does not align with continuous noise, as this indicates a more stable sound. Intermittent noise, by definition, does not characterize continuous noise because it refers to sounds that have breaks in their occurrence. Lastly, noise that is not perceivable would deal more with sound below the threshold of human hearing, which contradicts the nature of continuous noise that is consistently detectible.