Personal Computer, Printer, and Portable Equipment Noise in Classrooms

摘要

The American National Standard on classroom acoustics - ANSI S12.60-2002 [1] - presentscriteria for background noise in classrooms. The background noise criteria in ANSI S12.60 donot apply to the noise from portable or permanent built-in equipment used during the course ofinstruction, such as computers, audiovisual equipment, and printers. ANSI S12.60 providesgeneral guidance on the selection and installation of such equipment in an Annex; however, thestandard does not present specific recommendations for schools to purchase these products toensure they meet the classroom acoustical needs. This paper updates the recommendations madein a NOISE-CON 2003 paper [2] on an approach for ensuring that computers and instructionalmaterial are acceptable acoustically in classroom environments. This paper recommendsproduct sound power criteria based on levels necessary to meet the ANSI S12.60 sound pressurelevel criteria, our experience and existing environmental criteria.In order to minimize possible adverse effects from computers, audiovisual equipment andprinters when installed in classrooms, schools should purchase equipment that meetunambiguous specifications that include product A-weighted sound power level criteria. Schoolsshould 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. Thispaper recommends a purchase specification format which includes sound power criteria andrecommends procedures for installing and locating such equipment in the classroom to minimizenoise.