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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dimensions that distinguish high from low performing manufacturing companies in Great Britain with respect to controlling noise. The findings should assist regulators and industry to develop interventions that help organisations to effectively manage noise, particularly amongst the low performers.

The research uses quantitative and qualitative methods. Survey data was obtained from 215 manufacturers and supplemented with 15 qualitative interviews to assess performance and individual, social, environmental and organisational influences on duty holders' decision making for controlling noise.

Relative to low performers, decision makers from high performing companies had: greater in-depth knowledge of noise risks and controls; taken steps to promote positive health and safety attitudes and values; were large companies; and faced fewer resource barriers (time, costs, staffing). Managers in small, low performing companies sought simple interventions with a practical focus.

The differences reported between high and low performing companies showed a small magnitude of effect but these are considered significant in a health and safety context.

Improvements in training and education, and addressing workplace health and safety culture, are recommended as offering most potential to raise the standard of noise control.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to systematically assess the specific knowledge, attitudes, values and beliefs that employers hold about noise and the influence of social, environmental and organisational factors on manager’s decisions about noise controls.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether noise is affected by psychological factors rather than simply by physical metrics. For example, personality type, age, perceived control and screening ability were explored, as well as the choice of primary workplace.

An online survey was conducted which resulted in 517 valid responses. The survey included the personality profiling along with questions related to noise and personal circumstances. The key noise metrics were perceived performance, ability to work, well-being and stress plus three noise indices: concentration, distraction and speech interference.

The survey revealed that personality type does affect noise perception, in particular extroversion and neuroticism. Perceived control, screening ability, age, workplace, design and focused work are also factors. Personal variables accounted for 25 per cent of the variance in the ability to carry out work, and for 40 per cent of the variance in concentration and speech interference.

Whilst statistically significant differences were found for most of the psychological and personal variables, the size of effect was smaller than anticipated. This is likely because the survey was carried out across a range or workplaces, rather than in a laboratory, with a number of uncontrolled extraneous factors.

The research has resulted in the development of a design guidance document for controlling noise distractions based on more psychoacoustic, people-centred, principles than purely physical ones.

Most acoustics research is conducted in the laboratory and focuses on the physical sound properties. This research took a psychoacoustic approach focusing more on psychological and personal factors, and was carried out in the real world.

Examines the problem of noise level of civil aircraft engines. Focuses on two aspects of aircraft fan noise: cabin noise and community noise. Outlines the FANPAC programme launched in 1992 to assess techniques to control fan noise and describes two of the most promising liner designs. Reports on the progress made and suggests a follow‐on programme to explore further areas.

Adequate protection from external noise and vibration, adequate control of noise emission to keep the neighbours happy, control of office services plant and equipment to avoid poor working conditions, optimum layout, finishes and fittings for good acoustics and appropriate sound insulation, special acoustic applications — this article, by Jeffrey Charles of Bickerdike Allen Partners, is concerned with the technical know‐how necessary for good acoustic conditions in and around the office, and the actions the facilities manager can and should take to achieve them.

THE potentialities of television in industry were referred to by this journal (March, 1954) when we reported on the Pye TV unit which had been installed in the National College of Rubber Technology, enabling shop floor demonstrations to be seen in detail by large numbers of students in the lecture theatre some way off.

1. Aircraft Noise—Its effect on people OF all the environmental noise sources, aircraft noise has received the most notoriety over the longest period of time. Aircraft noise is generally assumed to be a product of the jet age, but in 1939 in the United Kingdom, the Gorrell Committee on Control of Flying gave noise control the highest priority. However, it was not until post‐World War II that the public became disturbed by the continued high level of military aircraft operations, and this disturbance was aggravated by the rapid introduction of jet‐powered aircraft. Civil aviation developed rapidly and, as airports increased in size, and as aircraft movements doubled every five years, the surrounding communities expanded to the airport boundaries. These conditions of growth provided the ingredients for the aircraft noise problem. In the United Kingdom, all the major airports grew from military installations where little regard had been given to the environmental impact of these sites on the surrounding communities.