The purpose of this study was to determine what noise levels existed at selected work stations in college welding laboratories while students were working and whether this noise exposure had any effect on the hearing acuity of students. Audiometric tests were administered to an experimental group of welding students in the noise of a welding laboratory and to a control group in the quieter environment of an art laboratory. It was found that the experimental group pretest and posttest scores showed a significant temporary threshold shift in hearing acuity of a mean 4.6 decibels at the frequency of 4000 hertz but that no significant permanent shift resulted from arc-welding noise for a limited period. However, with 37 percent of the work stations surveyed exposing students to sound-pressure levels up to 96 decibels and with the experimental group's temporary hearing loss experience, it was concluded that some school welding laboratories are exposing students to ambient noise conditions which are of definite concern. It was recommended that serious efforts be made to reduce noise exposure to students in school welding laboratories and that welding curriculums include instruction related to the hazards of excessive noise exposure and also to protective measures against it. The test reports and other study data are appended. (MF)