NOISE IMPLICATIONS OF THE USE OF AIR-COND ITIONING SYSTEMS IN THE HOSPITAL - A CASE-REPORT AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

An undesirable side-effect of the operation of air conditioners in the hospital are acoustic emissions which can propagate as structur-borne noise or airborne noise in sick-rooms and function rooms. Despite use ful information provided in DIN 1946 as well as in other relevant docu ments and legal statutes on restricting the acoustic emissions caused by air conditioning equipment, substantial noise phenomena are sometim es experienced in practice because of negligence in project engineerin g, installing and acceptance procedures. The air conditioning system o f an ophthalmic hospital, exposing several rooms accomodating tumour p atients of a Clinic of Radiology to substantial noise was studied to o utline the problems involved in thresholds and indicative figures of n oise comprising an essential low-frequency share as well as their part icular annoying effects. It is recommended that the hospital hygienist should require the manufacturer and the fitter of an air conditioning system to present a special noise control certificate. The results of the investigation presented also serve to discuss hospital-specific a nd subject-related factors which can moderate the noise sensation of p atients in threshold-relevant terms.