Pascal van Dort, Rockfon’s Global Acoustics Ambassador will be speaking at the forthcoming Healthcare Estates Conference in October. With an education in Building Acoustics and years of experience helping to overcome complex acoustical challenges Pascal will be drawing on his expertise to look at the important issue of wellbeing in the built healthcare environment.
In 2018 the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its Environmental Noise Guidelines for the first time since 1999, stressing that noise has negative impacts on human health and is becoming a growing concern. In western Europe alone at least 1.6 million healthy years of life are lost due to noise.
Busy environments are bound to be noisy and hospitals are no exception. According to the WHO, the impact of noise on a patient can raise blood pressure, increase incidences of heart disease, affect physiological health, and prolong recovery time. A sound-optimised workspace is important for those working in healthcare environments. One study of 416 patients showed that quieter environments can reduce hospitalization periods and another reported that 84% of anaesthesiologists were negatively affected by the noise levels in their operating rooms.
During his presentation Pascal will look at how evidence-based design can overcome the acoustic challenges that come with a busy environment.