Acoustics for Healthcare Premises

Acoustics within healthcare premise requires careful consideration for a number of reasons. Noise can be hazardous when it becomes intrusive to such an extent that patients and staff are put under stress, effecting the ability of staff to work efficiently and hindering a patient’s timely recovery. Indeed there is considerable evidence which suggests that noise exposure can induce hypertension, annoyance and sleep disturbance.

The control of noise within healthcare premises should include a consideration of:

  • Sound insulation provided by the external building envelope against external noise sources.
  • Noise from any activity within the premises which may disturb or intrude on other activities. This requires the careful positioning of rooms and the specification of separating walls and floors which provide the necessary degree of sound insulation.
  • Where communication or low noise levels are important the addition of absorptive material to the walls and/or ceiling may be required to control reverberation, ensuring that speech is intelligible and noise created within the room itself does not build up.

Current guidance is provided by Health Technical Memorandum 08-01: 'Acoustics' published in June 2008 and replacing HTM 2045. HTM 08-01 covers the acoustic design issues that are important for health care premises, recommending criteria for:

  • Noise levels in rooms – including contributions from both mechanical services within the building and external sources transmitted via the building structure.
  • Noise break-out.
  • Airborne and impact sound insulation.
  • Control of reverberation.
  • Vibration caused by plant and medical equipment.

Through our considerable knowledge of building acoustics HRS are able to provide design advice and regular site inspections, together with pre-completion testing to allow for the above performance criteria to be achieved, thereby providing a comfortable acoustic environment for both patients and staff. Work over the past year has included a noise assessment for Bowmer and Kirkland to assess the impact of air conditioning units associated with the newly constructed Withymoore Medical Centre in Dudley and pre-completion testing at the new oncology and haemotology unit at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull (top right).

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Acoustics - Flagship Projects

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Acoustic solutions for office buildings

Sound insulation testing of the newly built offices at St. Omar barracks, Aldershot

Acoustics for Healthcare Premises

Pre-completion testing at new oncology & haemotology unit, Castle Hill Hospital, Hull