See what contractors in 2022 had to say about their use of battery-powered backpack and hand-held blowers.
Here are some tips about what to do when there’s a noise complaint. Taken from “Fundamentals of the Power Sweeping Business.”
When the city of Boise, Idaho wanted to restrict sweeper operation, Ranger Kidwell-Ross (then-editor of American Sweeper Magazine and WSA’s current Executive Director) wrote a detailed letter to city officials asking for street sweepers to be exempted from the newly-installed noise ordinance. This article contains that letter, which contains information WSA members may use.
Boise contractors band together to create a dramatic media event against a crippling proposed noise ordinance. Although this happened some years ago, if you are having trouble with noise restrictions you will be able to glean a host of usable information from what Idaho’s Pavement and Parking Area Maintenance Association wrote about why sweepers should be exempt from noise ordinances.
Noise levels – you want to keep them down. But reducing noise costs money. How do you decide whether your investment is cost-effective? Suppose an analysis shows that you could take measures to reduce your noise level from 79 to 72 decibels. That doesn’t sound like much improvement, does it? In fact, a noise level of 79 decibels (dB) is more than twice as loud as 72 dB, so this investment could reduce your noise level by better than half.
The best way to deal with noise issues is to stop them in their tracks before they can get started. It’s always best to avoid getting complaints in the beginning. You should also know what, if any, noise ordinances there are in every location where you sweep.
