How loud is a street sweeper?
Vacuum street sweepers measured on a major Boston road project averaged a maximum level of 82 dBA at 50 ft (15 m), across 19 samples. The project's specification limit for them was 80 dBA.
- Level
- 82 dBA maxA-weighted maximum sound level
- Distance
- 15.2 m50 ft (15 m)
- Daily limit
- No daily limitNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 89× energyabout 3.9× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Average measured Lmax (slow) of 19 samples of vacuum street sweepers at 50 ft on the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston, from the FHWA construction noise inventory. The project specification limit was 80 dBA.
The US Federal Highway Administration's construction noise inventory, built from measurements on Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel project, lists vacuum street sweepers at an average measured Lmax of 82 dBA at 50 feet, slow response, from 19 samples. The specification limit was 80 dBA, so the measured machines ran slightly louder than specified.
A sweeper combines a diesel engine, a powerful suction fan and rotating brushes on the road surface. The same inventory puts a dump truck at 76 dBA at 50 ft, so a sweeper is louder than a passing lorry at the same distance, and because it moves slowly it stays near any one house for longer.
How long is safe?
Below 85 dBA, the level NIOSH allows for a full 8-hour day.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 dBA | No limit | No limit | 5 h 3 min | Not reached in 24 h |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
There is little risk to passers-by. Operators spend hours beside the machine and should follow their employer's hearing protection rules.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Lorry (heavy truck) (76–82 dBA max): this has about 2× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Air compressor (78–81 dBA max): this has about 1.8× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Noisy toys (70–102 dBA): it has about 2.5× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Amusement arcade (83–89.4 dBA): it has about 2.6× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 89× its energy and sounds about 3.9× as loud.
Questions
How loud is a street sweeper?
Vacuum street sweepers averaged 82 dBA maximum at 50 ft (15 m) in FHWA measurements.
Is a street sweeper louder than a lorry?
In the same FHWA inventory, a dump truck measured 76 dBA at 50 ft against 82 dBA for a sweeper.
Sources
- Construction Noise Handbook, 9.0 Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges, US Federal Highway Administration. Supports: 82 dBA measured Lmax at 50 ft (spec 80, 19 samples).
Vacuum Street Sweeper No 10 80 82 19
Checked 2026-11-03. - Construction Noise Handbook, 9.0 Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges, US Federal Highway Administration. Supports: column definition.
Actual Measured L max @ 50 feet (dBA, slow)
Checked 2026-11-03. - Construction Noise Handbook, 9.0 Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges, US Federal Highway Administration. Supports: dump truck comparison 76 dBA.
Dump Truck No 40 84 76 31
Checked 2026-11-03.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.