Research has established a negative correlation between noise and worker performance. In the healthcare sector, where excessive noise levels affect both patient health and worker wellbeing, there is a drive to ensure that noise levels are managed appropriately. Nonetheless, noise remains a prevalent issue in healthcare settings of all types, including hospitals, aged care facilities, and private hospices.
The leading innovator in resilient wall sheets and flooring systems, Altro, has commissioned a new whitepaper titled Designing healthcare facilities for quiet and wellbeing, the paper tackles the management of noise pollution in healthcare environments.
Altro’s whitepaper outlines the situation in healthcare spaces since the mid-20th century, namely that despite guidelines released by the World Health Organisation recommending noise levels not exceed 35-39dB, they have continually risen, in 2007 reaching 72dB.
The paper goes on to outline how this problem can be addressed. Specifically, this can be achieved via three separate strategies: the elimination of noise sources, single-bed rooms, and design-based solutions. The latter of the three is generally accepted as the most practical and effective method.
Free to download, the whitepaper also explains why Altro, as an expert in resilient wall sheets, is well-placed to accommodate design-based solutions for noise levels in healthcare environments.
For more information on how to address noise levels in healthcare, download Designing healthcare facilities for quiet and wellbeing.
