Outline Voice Care Network

Damaging effects of noise on hearing and voice in children’s learning environments

Outline

Reykjavik Iceland 12-13 October 2012

Oral communication ergonomic work in UK

Bridget Shield Professor of Acoustics Faculty of Engineering, Science and Built Environment London South Bank University

Voice Care Network

• • • • •

Voice Care Network Incidence of teachers’ voice problems in UK Cost of teachers’ voice problems in UK Awareness of risk and training Current legislation on acoustic design of schools, revision and impact • Current LSBU research on impact of acoustics

Incidence of teachers’ voice problems in UK

voicecare.org.uk

Voice Care Network (2001-2002)

"To help people keep their voices healthy and to communicate effectively".

• Survey of 35 voice clinics • 12% of patients were teachers (teachers 1.5% of workforce)

VCN activities include: training, workshops, seminars, conferences, surveys, practical advice


D. Comins: Survey of UK voice clinics 2001/2. Voice Care Network (2002)

LSBU survey of 51 primary school teachers (2001) Strategies for coping with noise

LSBU research (2001) • Survey of 51 primary school teachers

Ignore Concentration

• 89% experienced painful throat • 77% also experienced hoarseness, voice loss and throat infections

No response Stop teaching Attention gaining strategies Raise voice

• 4 (8%) teachers had no health problems (taught < 5 years, in quieter schools, did not raise voice)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Percentage

1


LSBU survey of teachers’ voice levels (2004) 36 teachers voice levels (4 male, 32 female) at 1.0 m

Association of Teachers and Lecturers 2008

84 82 80 78

Poll of 490 teachers in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

76

LAeq at 1.0m, dB(A)

74 72 70

% respondents

68 66

M

64 62

F

60 58 56 54 52 50 15 34

8

5

4

20 10 13

6

2

9

18 26

3

21 17

1

27 30 16 11 14 31

7

29 33 36 24 32 25 22 19 12 23 35 28

Teacher identification number female

male


Voice problems, overall

60

Voice problems in independent schools

57

Voice problems in local authority schools

68

Raise voice at least once a day

54

Raise voice at least once a week

70

Little or no support from school

42

Voice care should be compulsory in teacher training

87

Incidence of teachers’ voice problems in UK LSBU survey of 207 secondary school teachers (2011)

Association of Teachers and Lecturers 2008 Poll of 490 teachers in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland % respondents Voice problems, overall

60

Voice problems in independent schools

57

Voice problems in local authority schools

68

Raise voice at least once a day

54

Raise voice at least once a week

70

Little or no support from school

42

Voice care should be compulsory in teacher training

87

Economic consequences of teachers’ voice problems

52% of teachers reported voice problems

Awareness of dangers to voice National Union of Teachers (NUT)

Costs of teacher absence

Compensation

73,000 teaching days lost in British primary schools due to teachers’ voice strain

2006: £8000 awarded to Scottish teacher who lost voice due to ‘environmental/acoustic’ conditions

Costs £15 million per year

2010: teacher in London awarded £150,000 for voice damage due to noise

• 2004: Work Hoarse Raised awareness of dangers to the voice in certain professions including teaching

Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) • 2008: Published results of survey

Voice training in teacher training courses…..??? • Few courses include training • Training minimal

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Awareness of dangers to voice

GTCS Recommendations

General Teaching Council of Scotland 2003: Voice and the Teaching Profession • Survey of teacher training institutes in Scotland to determine provision of voice training • Usually one initial input session with follow up workshops/remedial sessions if required

• Teacher training courses should introduce greater awareness of voice care issues – Lectures, workshops and training in every year of course

• Voice care and information should be provided to teachers in schools – Especially probationary teachers

• Speech and language therapists should press for national policy on voice care and extent of teachers’ voice problems and effects of preventative care

Thames Primary Consortium, Essex

Acoustic requirements for good teaching, speaking and learning conditions • Low background noise levels – building services noise, traffic noise etc

• School centred teacher training programme • Provides specially designed individual voice training programme "...an excellent voice development program for trainees which has reduced their absence, escalated their progress and supported their behaviour management in class and their learning of phonics.“ (2011 Ofsted report)

Current regulations for acoustic design of schools in England and Wales • Schools Premises Regulations – apply to school buildings when occupied and in use

• Building Regulations – apply to design of new school buildings

• Prevention of noise transmission from other parts of the building • Good speech intelligibility – low noise levels and short reverberation times ‘Acoustics is one of the most important physical properties that determine how well a school’s building can serve its primary function’. Knudsen and Harris, 1950 Acoustical Designing in Architecture

Current standards for acoustic design of schools Building Bulletin 93 • Since 2003 new school buildings must comply with the Building Regulations • Legal requirements for acoustic design of new schools specified in Building Bulletin 93

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Current standards for acoustic design of schools

Some BB93 performance specifications (spaces unoccupied and unfurnished) Room

BB93 specifies • • • •

background noise levels reverberation times sound insulation sound absorption in corridors, staircases etc • speech intelligibility in open plan classrooms

Primary classroom

Max background noise level 35 dB

Secondary classrooms Open plan teaching areas Classrooms for use by HI students Libraries Science labs Drama studios

Some BB93 performance specifications (spaces unoccupied and unfurnished) Max background

Room

noise level But alternative Primary classroom 35 dB performance standards Secondary classrooms allowed 35 dB Open plan teaching areas

40 dB

Classrooms for use by HI BB93 students Libraries Science labs Drama studios

& Building 30 dB Regs currently under 35 dB revision 40 dB 30 dB

Max RT 0.6 s 0.8 s 0.8 s 0.4 s 1.0 s 0.8 s 1.0 s

Revision of BB93 May 2010

• Building Schools for the Future programme abolished • Free schools established • Building Bulletins (guidance) abolished • Government wanted to get rid of ‘burden of regulation’ related to new school building

Max RT 0.6 s

35 dB

0.8 s

40 dB

0.8 s

30 dB

0.4 s

35 dB 40 dB 30 dB

1.0 s 0.8 s 1.0 s

Revision of BB93 • 2008: Government agreed to a review • 2009: Draft revision circulated • October 2009: Schools minister endorsed need for good acoustics in schools; promised review in 2010

Institute of Acoustics ‘Sound Schools’ campaign • Letters to MPs • Letters/meetings with Government ministers • House of Lords • Chair of Select Committee on CLG • Under-Secretary of State for Education • Briefing note highlighting costs of poor acoustic design of schools

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Current situation (October 2012)

Data to suggest the regulations have been effective LSBU* secondary schools study (2209 – 2012)

• Building Regulation on school acoustics to be retained – details currently being finalised • Revised regulation will also apply to (some) refurbishments • Limits on alternative performance standards • Guidance to be revised • Schools Premises Regulations retain regulation on Acoustics

IANL, dBA Type of room

Pre/post BB93

• • •

STI

n

Mean

sd

Mean

sd

Mean

sd

64

35.2

5.3

0.67

0.22

0.71

0.05

22

29.0

4.3

0.56

0.11

0.73

0.04

Pre

7

41.2

5.8

0.57

0.11

0.73

0.02

Post

9

30.8

4.1

0.50

0.05

0.76

0.03

Pre Cellular classrooms Post Open plan rooms

Tmf, s

Reduction in average IANL and RT Corresponding increase in STI Standard deviations of all parameters decreased

* Study carried out with Institute of Education and University of Salford

LSBU: new research project

LSBU: new research project

Vocal strain in teachers: acoustic causes and cures Nick Durup

Vocal strain in teachers: acoustic causes and cures Nick Durup

Aims 1. Large scale survey of vocal strain in teachers in UK – web based questionnaire to be distributed via teaching unions – will examine vocal problems, hearing problems and perceptions of acoustic conditions in schools – currently undertaking pilot study; main study next year

Aims 2. Influence of room acoustics on teacher’s voice – vocal comfort of teachers not considered in acoustic design of classrooms – will examine link between voice levels and other voice parameters and room acoustics – use of APM to measure voice parameters in suite of classrooms treated to different acoustic standards

Conclusions • Research on the incidence and causes of voice problems among teachers in the UK is sporadic • There is evidence that a high percentage of teachers experience voice problems • Teachers often raise their voice to cope with noise in the classrooms • The current legislation and guidance on school acoustics is currently under revision • A new research project is examining the impact of acoustics on teacher’s vocal health

Thank you for listening! [email protected]

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