10 | Hospital noise - with Mai-Britt Beldam

Soundproofist

Most people don't think about hospital noise until they become a patient in one. But jarring noises in medical facilities can disrupt sleep and impede recovery. Mai-Britt Beldam is a specialist in hospital acoustics for Ecophon in Sweden. In this episode, she discusses some common noise issues that impact patients and staff, suggestions for acoustical improvements, and how the results are measured.

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. How Mai-Britt got involved in acoustics (00:00:47)

3. Impact of noise in hospitals (00:04:40)

4. Importance of architectural design to hospital acoustics (00:09:30)

5. Sound absorbing materials can withstand hospital liquids (00:12:36)

6. Activities and noise level has changed over the years (00:19:00)

7. Actual decibel levels in hospitals (00:20:53)

8. What are some of the barriers to noise control in hospitals? (00:23:50)

9. Regulations in hospitals (mostly EU) (00:27:36)

10. Results of acoustic treatments & how they are measured (00:35:46)

11. How do you get projects/how do healthcare facilities find you? (00:39:37)

12. Conclusions (00:43:42)