The negative impact of noise on health is not a modern concept, however, it is gaining more traction. As acoustic consultants we carry out;
- noise impact assessments to advise clients on how to reduce noise from their plant, machinery and equipment
- environmental noise assessments for new developments to protect future residents from external noise.
- building acoustic surveys to reduce noise levels from internal and external sources and improve speech intelligibility
- noise at work assessments to reduce noise exposure and protect hearing from harmful noise levels.
The purpose - to protect physical and mental health.
The BBC article How traffic noise hurts children's brains - BBC Future, looks at the impact of noise on children’s health and ability to learn. The article states “Environmental noise, particularly road traffic noise but also aircraft noise, is among the most damaging environmental factors to health, after air pollution”.
It is an interesting read that illustrates how growing populations and development, particularly in cities, means more harmful noise. However, through considered planning existing noisy environments can be improved and future development protected.
The role of acousticians may be to provide a service to clients to produce reports to accompany a planning application or discharge planning conditions but the importance of ensuring noise does not have a negative impact on health should not be underestimated.