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2/14/2013 Pennsylvania References for Eco-Healthy Child Care© Noise Pollution Reference Contents: Noise Pollution Description 1 PA DPW Regulations 1 Caring for Our 2 Children: National Health & Safety Standards (3rd Edition, 2011) Model Child Care Health Policies 2 OCDEL has launched the PA ECE Healthy & Green Initiative. One of our top priorities of this initiative is to promote and improve the environmental health of Pennsylvania’s early learning programs for the sake of children and staff. This reference page outlines Pennsylvania regulations and also defines what is encouraged beyond licensing requirements related to the topic area. For more information about the PA ECE Healthy & Green Initiative, please visit www.pakeys.org. Eco-Healthy Child Care© explains that The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognize the harmful health effects of noise pollution. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noise pollution is “an increasing public health problem” that can lead to variety of adverse health effects, including hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, interference with speech, headaches, disturbance of rest and sleep, productivity and mental health effects, and a general reduction in one’s quality of life. What is Noise Pollution? Noise pollution is unpleasant noise created by people or machines that can be annoying, distracting, intrusive, and/or physically painful. Noise pollution may come from outdoor sources, such as road traffic, jet planes, garbage trucks, construction equipment, manufacturing processes, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and indoor sources, including: boom boxes, heating and air conditioning units, and metal chairs scraping on floors. http://www.cehn.org/ehcc http://www.cehn.org/files/Noise_Pollution_7_12.pdf Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Child Care Licensing Regulations None Applicable Pennsylvania Recommendations Pennsylvania does not address noise pollution in its regulations for early learning programs. OCDEL encourages early learning programs to reduce children’s exposure to noise pollution by implementing the recommendations of Eco-Healthy Child Care©. OCDEL also encourages you to reference the following Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards (3rd Edition, 2011) that relate to this topic area. 2/14/2013 Page 2 Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards (3rd Edition, 2011) Standard 5.2.3.1 Noise Levels Measures should be taken in all rooms or areas accommodating children to maintain the decibel (db) level at or below thirty-five decibels for at least 80% of the time as measured by an acoustical engineer or, more practically, by the ability to be clearly heard and understood in a normal conversation without raising one’s voice. These measures include noncombustible acoustical ceiling, rugs, wall covering, partitions, or draperies, or a combination thereof. RATIONALE: Excessive sound levels can be damaging to hearing, reduce effective communication, and reduce psychosocial well-being. The level of noise that causes hearing loss commonly experienced by children with fluid in their middle ear space is thirty-five decibels (1). This level of hearing loss correlates with decreased understanding of language. By inference, this level of ambient noise may interfere with the ability of children to hear well enough to develop language normally (2,3). Research on the effects of ambient noise levels in child care settings has focused on a) concern with damage to the child’s auditory system and b) non-auditory effects such as physiological effects (e.g., elevated blood pressure levels), motivational effects, and cognitive effects (3). Although noise sources may be located outside the child care facility, sometimes the noise source is related to the design of the child care spaces within the facility. In the article “Design of Child Care Centers and Effects of Noise on Young Children,” Maxwell states “spaces must allow for the fact that children need to make noise but the subsequent noise levels should not be harmful to them or others in the center” (3). COMMENTS: When there is new construction or renovation of a facility, consideration should be given to a design that will reduce noise from outside. High ceiling heights may contribute to noise levels. Installing acoustical tile ceilings reduce noise levels as well as curtains or other soft window treatments over windows and wall-mounted cork boards (4). While carpets can help reduce the level of noise, they can absorb moisture and serve as a place for microorganisms to grow. Area rugs should be considered instead of carpet because they can be taken up and washed often. Area rugs should be secured with a non-slip mat or other method to prevent tripping hazards. Caregivers/teachers who need extensive help with sound abatement should consult a child care health consultant for additional ideas or with an acoustical engineer to measure noise levels within the facility. For further assistance on finding an acoustical engineer, contact the Acoustical Society of America. TYPE OF FACILITY: Center; Large Family Child Care Home; Small Family Child Care Home http://nrckids.org/CFOC3/HTMLVersion/ Model Child Care Health Policies: ECELS/Healthy Child Care Pennsylvania, PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is accessible on the ECELS website at: www.ecels-healthychildcarepa.org