Two important publications available January 12, 2010:

1. Sound & Vibration for Health Care Facilities January 1, 2010
Version 2.0, Including New Guidelines for NICUs
CLICK HERE TO ORDER A SECURE PDF

This completely revised 80-page document was commissioned in 2006 to serve as the comprehensive “reference standard” for the 2010 FGI-ASHE Guidelines (see below) and is cross-referenced to it. Version 2.0 supersedes previous editions 1.0 & 1.1. It is completely revised, updated and re-designed in a user-friendly format to provide completely detailed information, constructive advice for designers and engineers, reference tables, case study photos, charts and graphs. Sound & Vibration is intended to be used alongside the 2010 Guidelines. Sound & Vibration has already been adopted as the sole Reference Standard for two LEED “Environmental Quality” credits in the Green Guide for Health Care (www.gghc.org) and LEED for Healthcare (in draft).

2. 2010 FGI-ASHE Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities
Order now from: www.ashe.org (hard copy, binder or CD)
Accepted as building code by over 42 states, 7 U.S. federal agencies and several foreign countries, this is the first edition in the 60-year history of the Guidelines to include comprehensive acoustical criteria* (see above) for all aspects of noise, sound systems, speech privacy and building vibration. The Guidelines is the only general document you need if you are involved in the planning, design, construction, operation and renovation of any type of licensed healthcare facility. The Guidelines--a new edition of which appears every four years--have been in continuous existence since first authorized by the Hill Burton Act of 1947 and published by the Public Health Service, but they have never before included comprehensive acoustical criteria.

Plus, training sessions about these documents
Eighteen HSW-accredited training sessions are currently available during the first half of 2010 via webinar and in person in a number U.S. cities. If you would like to arrange a special session for a design or engineering firm, for a chapter meeting, or for an association-sponsored conference, contact the committee co-chairs at: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or call 617-939-4250. 

The Co-chairs
ANSI S12 WG44
The Joint ASA/INCE/NCAC Subcommittee
on Healthcare Acoustics & Speech Privacy
Cambridge, MA USA
Questions? Dial: 617-939-4250 or
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it