Just a reminder that the consultation on the proposed amendments to BS4142:2014 is still open.

The IOA is preparing for a damage limitation exercise, should a no deal Brexit occur. As part of this, we will be contacting Government to identify which of the acoustics regulations might be affected by Brexit, and to offer to work with them to ensure that post Brexit our framework of regulation is not damaged and, where possible, it is improved or reformed where needed

This year’s John Connell Innovation Award winner AECOM utilises powerful sound demonstrations for Stonehenge

AECOM helped Highways England to effectively communicate proposed changes to the landscape around Stonehenge and the A303 to its key stakeholders by creating sophisticated audio simulations. They could simulate the changes in acoustics after building a tunnel to replace a road nearby to reduce traffic congestion, and helped stakeholders to experience the changes in noise and visual impact of traffic for the World Heritage Site (WHS).

WHO/Europe has published the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region as a regional update. The Guidelines include a review of evidence on the health effects of environmental noise to incorporate significant research carried out in the last years.  The health outcomes for which the evidence will be systematically reviewed include: sleep disturbance, annoyance, cognitive impairment, mental health and wellbeing, cardiovascular diseases, hearing impairment and tinnitus and adverse birth outcomes.

The Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region have been produced following a rigorous process outlined in the WHO Handbook for Guideline Development, involving several groups of experts and stakeholders. The guidelines provide a set of source-specific public health recommendations on long-term exposure to environmental noise, including road traffic, railway, aircraft, wind turbine, and leisure noise.

The IOA office has moved to Milton Keynes, our new contact details are:

The Institute of Acoustics, Silbury Court, 406 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 2AF Tel: 0300 999 9675