Acoustics: standards that set best practices to music

At home, at the office, at a restaurant, on the street... Noise is everywhere, with sometimes disastrous consequences for health and, indirectly, for the economy. Exposure begins in the morning, at the start of the working day. In large companies, practices have changed significantly in recent years. Real estate constraints and the desire to create collaborative working methods have led to a boom in open-plan offices. In these open-plan offices, communication is easier, but confidentiality and discretion take a hit. And the social cost is skyrocketing: between difficulties concentrating, losses in productivity, and occupational illnesses caused by the hubbub, an estimated €18 billion is lost each year...

NF S31-199: Best practices for acoustics in open-plan offices

At the forefront of this issue, AFNOR offers companies standards tailored to each situation. These standards are all the more relevant because they are developed by the companies themselves. "Workstations, meeting rooms, or relaxation areas: the perception and management of noise vary from one place to another," explains Olivier Cartigny, AFNOR project manager, who assists professionals in developing these documents. The NF S31-199 standard takes these different situations into account. 

This voluntary implementation guide includes a questionnaire to be completed before or after construction work to gauge the expectations of the employees concerned. It also suggests solutions tailored to each location. "HR managers, project owners, project managers, senior management... The guidelines provide practical advice to all departments involved," continues Yoan Le Muet, marketing manager at Saint-Gobain and chair of the AFNOR standardization committee on acoustics in the workplace.

For example, installing partitions without modifying the ceiling is completely pointless." This 2016 document could well be given a new lease of life, this time on an international scale, by submitting it to ISO to make it a document shared by all countries by 2020.

Cafés, bars, and restaurants: a voluntary standard coming soon

After a day's work, it's time to relax in a bar or restaurant. But one person's leisure time is another person's job... Waiters, bartenders, and cooks are exposed to high levels of noise in these places where atmosphere is paramount. And between music and conversation, the menu can quickly turn into a special decibel menu. Since this summer, a commission has been working on the issue. Here too, the same principle applies: it is the professionals who set the standard, not the public authorities who impose it. Professionals from the restaurant and construction industries, design offices, and the INRS (National Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases) are participating in the discussions. You can still join in! "The presence of all these players is important in order to find the right balance," summarizes Yoan Le Muet. "On the one hand, to limit staff exposure, and on the other, to attract customers with a lively atmosphere without scaring them away." The aim of this work is to reach a consensus on best practices and publish a standard within two years.

Noise in housing: a guide to acoustic perception coming soon

Once at home, peace and quiet is not always guaranteed. Although the ISO 19488 standard addresses the acoustics of housing, the French commission has chosen not to follow it, considering it too restrictive and not sufficiently adapted to reality. AFNOR, laboratories, consultants, manufacturers, and associations are advocating a different approach, summarized by Pascal Ozouf, president of the standardization commission on acoustics in buildings and head of acoustics and innovation at Placo Saint-Gobain: "At the same decibel level, the sound of a stream is not as disturbing as the noise of a highway. We want to develop a more precise and specific reference system."

The text, which should be published by 2020, aims to inspire those involved in construction and renovation to incorporate these issues into their future projects. "The perception of noise varies greatly from one room to another in a house," adds Sylvie Picherit, AFNOR project manager, who chairs Pascal Ozouf's commission. "Perception will play a key role in this voluntary implementation document, which could subsequently inspire a regulatory text."

Noise from shooting ranges: a benchmark, the NF S31-010 standard

Talking about noise in housing quickly leads to the issue of neighbors. There are those who play their music at full volume, those who run their washing machines in the middle of the night, those who complain about the noisy bar down the street (another bar!)... But also, more rarely, those who live not far from incongruous activities such as... shooting ranges. For this type of activity, regulations are very strict, with thresholds that must not be exceeded. In response to the "what to do" question posed by public authorities, standardization offers a "how to do it" solution. "How can measurements be taken correctly?" asks Paula Castillo, AFNOR project manager. "It is essential to define a precise method so that everyone is on the same page, specifying, for example, the position of the microphone or the recording distance from the noise source."

Since 2007, the generic standard NF S31-010, supplemented by its application document FD S31-160, has provided a framework for harmonizing and ensuring the reliability of measurements. And for resolving conflicts... "We are about to publish the revised version, developed with professionals, the shooting federation, and residents' associations," says former RATP acoustician Daniel Brassenx, who is lending his expertise to the standardization commission led by Paula Castillo. It proposes a measurement method that achieves consensus between shooters (the "noise makers") and those exposed to their noise (the "noise receivers")." A similar document has just been released, applicable to road freight transport, under reference S31-200 (see box opposite).

Personal hearing protectors: revised NF EN 352 series of standards

With all this surrounding noise, the last resort is... earplugs! Classified as personal protective equipment, along with headbands and other types of headphones, these small foam or wax balls are the subject of extensive standardization work. "The public inquiry into the NF EN 352-1 standard was completed in mid-September," recalls Matthis Roussel, AFNOR project manager, who supervised this stage. This revision is intended to set new safety and protection requirements that manufacturers will have to comply with. " This project joins the list of other standards under revision in the NF EN 352 series, which began in the summer of 2017, with the first texts expected to be published and approved from April 2019.

In line with changes to regulations on personal protective equipment (PPE), these texts will include a major new feature: manufacturing quality control. "Users will thus benefit from better information and better protection against noise," says Nicolas Trompette, head of the occupational acoustics laboratory at INRS, one of the commission's members. From earplugs to delivery trucks, shooting ranges to restaurants, AFNOR is the conductor of multiple commissions where professionals like you can tune your instruments... and ultimately compose a beautiful symphony of standards.

NF S31-200 for measuring noise from delivery trucks

Published on October 1, 2018, after six years of discussions, the voluntary standard NF S31-200 sets out the methodology for measuring noise from road transport delivery activities. How far to position the microphone from the noise source, how to orient it, etc. The text provides instructions for all situations: while driving, parked, or making a delivery. The text is intended for users of these vehicles, to help them comply with the regulatory thresholds imposed and to better understand the impact of their activity on the sound environment.