Increasing the Acoustical Society’s role in noise control and noise effects

Abstract

At the meeting of the Technical Committee on Noise at the fall 1991 meeting of ASA in Houston, a discussion was held on how, or if, the Acoustical Society should develop more concrete policies or action concerning noise control and noise effects. As a result of that discussion, a Noise Task Group was formed by the authors at the direction of the Chair of the Technical Committee to explore the issues involved. Since that time, several special sessions have been held to help establish a direction for this activity. This talk will briefly review some of the more important elements of that activity which, properly, are beginning to involve members of other technical committees within the Society in such areas as hearing screening tests at ASA meetings, development of lecture materials for use in presenting talks to youth on acoustics and noise, and potential development of room noise criteria and/or rating schemes for meeting spaces. Other such action areas that have evolved from these special sessions will be mentioned. These offer other opportunities for ASA members to help achieve a goal worthy of the Society—to preserve quiet and tranquility in concert with advances in technology and population growth.