Noise Reduction
Why hospitals are loud, and what actually makes them quieter.
8 min readUpdated March 5, 20263 topics
Recommended vs. observed
| Guideline | Target |
|---|---|
| WHO Community Noise Guidelines — hospital day | ≤ 35 dB(A) LAeq |
| WHO — hospital night | ≤ 30 dB(A) LAeq |
| WHO — max at night | ≤ 40 dB(A) LAmax |
| Typical observed inpatient unit | 50–70 dB(A) LAeq, peaks 75+ dB |
Where the noise comes from
Nighttime noise in most inpatient units is dominated by device alarms, followed by conversation at the nursing station and equipment being moved. Speech-in-the-corridor is the second largest contributor overnight.
What actually works
- Reduce non-actionable alarms at the source — the single highest-yield intervention.
- Route alarms to phones, not to overhead speakers.
- NRC ≥ 0.90 ceiling tiles and sound-rated corridor doors.
- Quiet-time protocols — coordinated low-light, low-noise windows between 10 pm and 6 am.
- Single-occupancy rooms — significantly lower LAeq than semi-private.
Standards
- ANSI/ASA S12.2 — criteria for evaluating room noise.
- FGI Guidelines Acoustics Appendix — STC, IIC, and interior sound levels.
- HCAHPS "Quietness of the environment" — CMS-tracked patient perception item.
- WHO Community Noise Guidelines.
References & further reading
- 1WHO — Guidelines for Community Noise (1999) and Night Noise Guidelines for Europe (2009)
- 2ANSI/ASA S12.2-2019 Criteria for evaluating room noise
- 3FGI Guidelines — Acoustical performance appendix
- 4CMS HCAHPS survey — Quietness item
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