105 St Peter's Street
St Albans
Herts AL1 3EJ
United Kingdom

Tel: 01727 896092
Fax: 01727 896026
Email:   mail@anc

THE ASSOCIATION OF NOISE CONSULTANTS

An Introduction …

The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) objectives are:

• To maintain and, where possible, improve the standards of conduct and competence of consultants concerned with noise, acoustics and vibration;
  
• To represent and make known the views of its membership upon matters relating to or affecting their interests;
  
• To promote further education and knowledge in noise control, acoustics, vibration and related matters;
  
• To inform the public of the existence of consultants concerned with noise, acoustics and vibration and the services they provide;
  
• To provide its membership with a forum for discussion and exchange of information on matters of common interest; and
  
• To co-operate with other organisations on matters of mutual interest.

The ANC is an active organisation with a growing number of working groups.  It has provided guidance and facilities that are valued by industry; e.g. the ‘ADE’registration scheme for sound insulation pre-completion testing under the Building Regulations and the Guidelines on the Measurement and Assessment of Vibration.

The following summarises membership minimum requirements:

• Sub-contracting: Members should not subcontract more than 25% of their turnover.
  
• Qualifications: 50% or more of the permanent consulting staff should have graduate or equivalent status and hold membership of a recognised learned society in acoustics.
  
• Organisation: The principal, head or manager of a Member organisation should be able to commit the Member technically or financially, and should be a competent practising acoustician. The Member organisation should be able to demonstrate substantial independence of service.
  
• Hardware interests: No more than 25% of the Member's consulting activity should lie in specific areas covered by hardware interests of the Member organisation or of companies or groups with which the Member is financially linked.
  
• Insurance: Members are required to carry professional indemnity insurance in the sum of no less than £200,000.
  
• Ownership: If a Member is partly or wholly owned by any organisation concerned with the manufacture or sale of acoustic products, then this interest is to be declared to prospective clients whenever there is any possibility of a conflict of interests.
  
• Fees: Members are required to charge for their services at rates appropriate to a self-sustaining organisation.
  

Two grades of membership are available, Member and Associate Member. 

There are limitations imposed on Associate Membership but both Grades are able join the 'ADE' registration scheme and benefit from all training opportunities. In creating different grades of membership, the ANC aims to provide an opportunity for newly-formed and developing consultancies to develop in a professional way within The ANC, and for members to continue to demonstrate their commitment to technical and professional development.

The Membership grade is determined by the ANC Board based on a completed application and an interview.

The 'ADE' Registration Scheme: An Introduction …

Background

Approved Document E ‘Resistance to the Passage of Sound’ of the Building Regulations was revised in 2003, including a new requirement to carry out pre-completion sound insulation tests in a number of situations.

These tests should be carried out by suitably qualified testers, who hold approved third party accreditation of a form approved by ODPM.

The ANC Registration Scheme for pre-completion testing was established in response to this by members of the ANC who were concerned at the cost and complexity of registration under UKAS, the only form of accreditation previously available.

The scheme has been successful in securing approval from ODPM, and is referred to in the 2004 amendments to the approved document.  It also provides significant assistance to the building industry in authorising a considerable number of testers (over 100 at the end of 2004, and rising) to carry out these tests, who would otherwise have no form of registration.

Registration

The first hurdle in the registration process is membership of the ANC.  The ANC’s technical requirements for membership are detailed on the previous page, and are taken as the initial proof that members are competent acousticians with suitable training, quality and insurance in place.

The scheme application process then requires applicants to submit details of their sound insulation test procedures, qualifications and experience of proposed testers, and instrumentation details including calibration certificates.

The individual testers are then assessed on the basis of sound insulation reports previously carried out, and other training requirements.  An Institute of Acoustics course is understood to be in preparation to assist with this training process.  An undertaking is then made by all authorised testers to keep up their training in the field, and they could be subjected to random witnessing of tests at any time.

Test Procedure and Reporting

The scheme is intended to ensure that all tests are carried out in full accordance with both ISO140 and ADE2003 (including arithmetic source averaging – a new requirement in the new regulation).

Test results are always submitted in full, regardless of the test outcome, with certificates issued centrally from a secure database which will also provide statistical data on tracking performance and failure rates.

For any further information please refer to the registration committee chairman, currently Iain Critchley [noise@btconnect.com].

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Note to members: please email anc@ukgateway.net to notify any errors, omissions or changes.