Environmental Noise

Prevent Disturbance and Control Cost: The Highest Suitable Noise Level™

Noise producers have two priorities: they must ensure they do not disturb the occupants of nearby noise sensitive areas, and they must achieve this while minimising costs. To avoid justifiable complaints, while keeping costs low, noise producers should achieve the Highest Suitable Noise Level™ of environmental noise.

There are many sources that produce noise which need consideration when assessing environmental noise – whether they affect the occupants of neighbouring premises, people in the same premises, or those at a considerable distance from the site. Some sources and noise producing activities from premises include:

  • Mechanical plant and equipment.
  • Loading and unloading activities.
  • Materials handling.
  • Outdoor activities, possibly including conversation, amplified announcements, and music.
  • Transport including vehicles arriving, departing, and manoeuvring on site, vehicle doors, horns, and air brakes.

In addition to this, sources of environmental noise that can also affect new noise sensitive development include:

  • Transport including distant roads, aircrafts, and railways.
  • Construction.
  • Recreation, such as amplified music and sporting events.
  • People, possibly arriving at or departing from premises, or particularly smoking and talking outdoors.
Attenuated cowls

Cost-Effective Solutions That Work

Our ethos is simple: we aim to identify and then achieve The Highest Suitable Levels™ of noise and vibration to minimize compliance costs and protect sensitive receptors. We do this to avoid the problems that arise from trying to achieve unnecessarily low levels that do not provide any additional benefits.

With our state-of-the-art instrumentation and technology, we perform fully attended acoustic surveys to deliver the high quality data necessary for a thorough analysis and assessment. Our aim is to aid your decision-making process by providing the information you need in a clear and accessible manner, underscored by our years of experience both as acoustic consultants and acoustic engineers.