Posted on: Jan. 9, 2026
It shouldn't be this depressing - by Peter Wilson
When I founded INVC on 01/01/86 with my ex boss, Steve May, the world was a very different place. In the field of noise, there has been both massive progress in some areas and, sadly, zero progress in others. This is the first of my honest "end of 40 year report cards" on the noise industry, an industry in which I am seriously disappointed.
I'm going to be blunt about the failings I see in both occupational and environmental noise management and mitigation. Failings that are both prevalent worldwide and very damaging to the population. I'll also be including the changes I feel should be made to improve outcomes in the hope it will encourage others.
Feathers may (will) be ruffled...
But first, a good news/bad news example...
Instrumentation - from a needing a mortgage to a free app...
As the young, enthusiastic (and hairy) engineer in the picture working at the Lucas Industries Noise Centre (not the both wizened and wisened inset I am now), we had just spent the cost of a Jag on the latest FFT narrow band analyser in the picture. We spent that on a similar instrument when INVC was founded. Now, 40 years on, you can do tonal analysis using a free smartphone app...
That's brilliant! BUT...
...the vast majority of noise consultants do not use FFT analysis for either assessment or diagnosis. This beggars belief. There is no excuse for not using one of the most useful and powerful analysis techniques available to both evaluate environmental noise for the tonal content that is so often the cause of complaints and to identify and diagnose the precise causes of noise to determine the noise control options.
Q: if you don't use narrow band FT tonal analysis, how can you claim to be competent? Discuss...
Lack of consultant analysis - the consequences to health
Thousands of people are suffering from the unnecessary, and serious, impacts of noise on their health due to inadequate knowledge and practices.
- Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is the major modifiable risk for dementia, increasing the risk by up to 500%.
- UK Chief Medical Officer: environmental noise is 2nd only to air pollution in damaging public health.
My forthcoming reviews on the state of the noise industry
I will be following this post with a regular series of expert "report cards" on the performance, or lack thereof, of these industries covering the following topics:
Environmental noise
- consultant report quality - dire: E
- noise diagnosis - lacking: F
- knowledge of modern mitigation best practice - abysmal: F
- planning noise specification - lacking: D
- unnecessary overuse of BS4142 - poor, could do better: D
Occupational noise
- report quality - poor: C
- PPE performance assumptions - poor: D
- knowledge of low-cost modern noise control technology - abysmal: F
- use of alternative and effective audiometry - poor: D
- awareness training material quality - poor: D (e.g. inaccurate "A.I. slop")
Use the link below if you'd like to be kept informed when the posts are published. Feedback will be welcomed!
