Tag: Professional Practice

Glass and metal building facade

WELL done acoustics with a side of Green

The fact that I’m wearing noise-cancelling headphones as I write strikes me as both ironic and illustrative of how much and how insidiously noise can affect us at work, rest, or play. With all the construction underway in my neighbourhood, I’m relieved to discover that the sounds of recorded waterfalls, surf, rain—or even Drum & Bass—are far more conducive to cognitive focus than, say, the dulcet tones of jackhammers or chainsaws. Though currently home-based, I have worked in conventional office environments, researching and writing amidst colleagues engaged in activities and conversations sometimes no less, um…dulcet, and I suspect wearing headphones to tune them out would probably have been construed as rude.

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July 27, 2021 No Comments
Fishing boats moored in a Newfoundland port

Something sounds fishy: mitigating noise aboard small industrial craft

I’d never before pondered that fish and noise might—even indirectly—have anything to do with each other. Little did I know! Sure, fish do tend to be quiet, but the process of harvesting them most assuredly does not.

With high casualty, accident, and injury rates, fish harvesting ranks as one of the world’s most dangerous industries. Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) literature from coastal communities not only confirms this; it also highlights noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) as a primary health hazard among fish harvesters. What these regulatory bodies haven’t addressed is the noise-induced fatigue caused by insufficiently sound-attenuated crew quarters. Cumulative health effects of noise exposure over time also include cardiovascular stress, which can lead to high blood pressure and dizziness.

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April 12, 2021 No Comments
A person in a reflective vest and hard hat holds a blueprint and a walkie-talkie, standing in front of an industrial facility.

Let’s hear it for her too!

In Have you heard about her? Women’s innovative contributions to acoustics (Part I), we started off with a historical perspective, acknowledging Hedy Lamarr’s ground-breaking work in developing the frequency hopping spread spectrum, a technology still used in underwater acoustic communication and recognized as the foundation of WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth.

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July 2, 2020 No Comments
Black and white image of a woman in a polka dot dress with a double-strand pearl necklace. Behind her, there is a technical diagram featuring patent schematics and detailed notes.

Have you heard about her?

Although Hedy Lamarr wasn’t an acoustician per sé, the frequency hopping spread spectrum technique she developed with avant-garde composer George Antheil was a milestone invention in the field of information technology, one still used in underwater acoustic communication owing to its anti-interference and anti-fading properties. These same properties explain why the two friends are widely credited with paving the way for later, more complex inventions including WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth.

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May 15, 2020 No Comments
A large, empty theater with red seats and a stage, viewed from the audience area. The ceiling features an array of lights and acoustic panels.

Best of 2019: 9 acoustic services questions answered

Ever wondered what acoustic engineering consultants are typically asked to do when they’re… consulted? Maybe you have an acoustics-related problem of your own but aren’t sure what questions to ask? First of all, please don’t hesitate to contact us and express your concerns, because at BAP Acoustics, we believe there are no wrong questions, especially not when they elicit sound advice. Secondly, we hear certain types of questions so frequently we feel they warrant their own blog post, so please read on. You may see your own question—or one relevant to it—addressed below.

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December 6, 2019 No Comments
A construction site with heavy machinery. A worker in a reflective vest and hard hat uses a tablet while another worker operates equipment in the background. Buildings are visible behind the site.

Choosing an acoustical consultant: It’s all about due diligence

In crafting this opening paragraph, the most salient observation I’m inclined to share is that—just as anyone can call themselves a writer—anyone can call themselves an acoustical consultant. That doesn’t mean highly qualified acoustical consultants aren’t out there, but it does suggest you’ll need to take some time and care to find the right one for you. Hint: While anyone can indeed call themselves an acoustical consultant, acoustical engineers earn their titles through rigorous academic study and credentials.

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May 14, 2019 No Comments
A person wearing a high-visibility vest holds a long microphone boom pole, aiming it towards a building in the background.

6 reasons to hire acoustic consultants for your project … at an early stage in its progress

You trust your well-trained, compassionate family doctor. But would you be comfortable with a diagnostic hint of “It’s probably acid reflux, but it might be throat cancer”? Chances are, you’d be as unlikely to accept a “might be” as she would to let you leave her examining room before referring you to a specialist. At the very least, she’d send you off to a lab with blood test requisition in hand.

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October 31, 2018 No Comments

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