Personal Computer, Printer, and Portable Equipment Noise in Classrooms

摘要

The American National Standard on classroom acoustics - ANSI S12.60-2002 [1] - presents criteria for background noise in classrooms. The background noise criteria in ANSI S12.60 do not apply to the noise from portable or permanent built-in equipment used during the course of instruction, such as computers, audiovisual equipment, and printers. ANSI S12.60 provides general guidance on the selection and installation of such equipment in an Annex; however, the standard does not present specific recommendations for schools to purchase these products to ensure they meet the classroom acoustical needs. This paper updates the recommendations made in a NOISE-CON 2003 paper [2] on an approach for ensuring that computers and instructional material are acceptable acoustically in classroom environments. This paper recommends product sound power criteria based on levels necessary to meet the ANSI S12.60 sound pressure level criteria, our experience and existing environmental criteria. In order to minimize possible adverse effects from computers, audiovisual equipment and printers when installed in classrooms, schools should purchase equipment that meet unambiguous specifications that include product A-weighted sound power level criteria. Schools should then install and operate the equipment in a manner to minimize noise emissions-considering both location of products and students and special noise reduction techniques. This paper recommends a purchase specification format which includes sound power criteria and recommends procedures for installing and locating such equipment in the classroom to minimize noise. By following the approach recommended in this paper, schools can ensure that computer products and instructional material are acceptable acoustically in classroom environments.