Standardization News

Given some variations based on certain conditions, sound travels at about 343 metres per second, which is pretty fast when you consider that the sound of the human voice often carries sensitive information that shouldn't be reaching other ears. This is especially true of medical examination rooms, human resources offices, pharmacies and other venues in which people need to talk to, and about, other people.

In order to keep sound that travels beyond the walls of a particular area from being heard by unintended listeners, an ASTM subcommittee specializing in speech privacy is at work on a proposed new standard, WK47433, Performance Specification of Electronic Sound Masking When Used in Building Spaces.

"Electronic sound masking systems have been in use since the advent of open plan offices in the mid-1960s," says ASTM member Kenneth Roy, Ph.D., senior principal research scientist, Armstrong World Industries. Roy also notes that too much variability in system performance led to user dissatisfaction with the early systems.

Now, specific driving factors - particularly the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as HIPAA - require predictable speech privacy outcomes on a consistent basis.

"In healthcare, the need for electronic sound masking systems is being driven by government regulations and legal requirements, so we need to be able to design for specific levels of speech privacy in healthcare for doctors and patients, and also in office environments when dealing with HR discussions, medical and legal situations, and financial and management issues," says Roy. "We have expectations of confidentiality when we are within closed doors, and we wish to be productive in open plan office areas where noise distractions are often an issue."

Primary users of WK47433 will be manufacturers of sound masking equipment and audio system designers who apply these systems to architectural environments.

WK47433 is being developed by Subcommittee E33.02 on Speech Privacy, part of ASTM International Committee E33 on Building and Environmental Acoustics. In addition to developing WK47433, the subcommittee has these related standards, all of which are currently being revised, under its jurisdiction:

Interested parties, particularly sound masking system manufacturers, electronic and acoustical engineers, and architects, are invited to participate in the drafting of WK47433 and the maintenance of other E33.02 standards.

CONTACT Technical Information: Kenneth P. Roy, Ph.D., Armstrong World Industries • Lancaster, Pa. • tel +1.717.396.5700 | ASTM Staff: Kelly Paul • tel +1.610.832.9745 | Upcoming Meeting: April 27-28 • April Committee Week • Anaheim, Calif.