Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2021 Feb 23;21(1):22.
doi: 10.1186/s12873-021-00415-5.

Impact of a visual indicator on the noise level in an emergency medical dispatch centre - a pilot study

Justin Outrey  1 , Jean-Baptiste Pretalli  1   2 , Sophie Pujol  2   3 , Alice Brembilla  2 , Thibaut Desmettre  1   3 , Christophe Lambert  1 , Jean-Marc Labourey  1 , Frédéric Mauny  2   3 , Abdo Khoury  4   5
Affiliations
Observational Study

Impact of a visual indicator on the noise level in an emergency medical dispatch centre - a pilot study

Justin Outrey et al. BMC Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Background: Noise levels are monitored in call centres. A maximum of 52 to 55 dB(A) is recommended in order to prevent adverse events. We aimed at assessing the noise level and the impact of a visual noise indicator on the ambient noise level in a French Regional Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre (EMDC).

Methods: We conducted an observational study in the EMDC of the SAMU25 (University Hospital of Besancon). We measured the noise level using a SoundEarII® noise indicator (Dräger Medical SAS, France). The measurement took place in two phases on three consecutive days from 00:00 to 11:59 PM. At baseline, phase 1, the device recorded the average ambient noise for each minute without visual indication. Secondly, phase 2 included a sensor mounted with a light that would turn on green if noise was below 65 dB(A), orange if noise ever exceeded 65 and red if it exceeded 75 dB(A).

Results: In the presence of the visual noise indicator, the LAeq was significantly lower than in the absence of visual noise indicator (a mean difference of - 4.19 dB; P < 10-3). It was higher than 55 dB(A) in 84.9 and 43.9% of the time in phases 1 and 2, respectively.

Conclusions: The noise levels were frequently higher than the standards, and sometimes close to recommended limits, requiring preventive measures. The noise indicator had a positive effect on the ambient noise level. This work will allow the implementation of effective prevention solutions and, based on future assessments, could improve operators' well-being and better care for patient.

Keywords: Medical call Centre; Noise; Noise exposure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Average sound level per hour (LAeq) time evolution
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Le Livre Blanc des Urgences. https://www.leslivresblancs.fr/livre/sante-medecine/systeme-hospitalier/.... Accessed 24 Jun 2020.
    1. Beyan AC, Demiral Y, Cimrin AH, Ergor A. Call centers and noise-induced hearing loss. Noise Health. 2016;18:113–116. doi: 10.4103/1463-1741.178512. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Basner M, Babisch W, Davis A, Brink M, Clark C, Janssen S, et al. Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health. Lancet. 2014;383:1325–1332. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61613-X. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Trompette N, Chatillon J. Evaluation des risques pour l’audition des opérateurs des centres d’appels téléphoniques et solutions de prévention. INRS, Note scientifique et technique 289. 2010.
    1. Trompette N, Chatillon J. Survey of noise exposure and background noise in call centers using headphones. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2012;9(6):381–386. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2012.680852. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources