The GNBS National Standards Council recently approved the guidelines for noise emissions it developed and it urges companies, promoters of public events and residents to take steps to implement the requirements therein.

In a press release the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) said the mandatory standards specify permissible noise levels for commercial, industrial, residential, institutional, educational, construction, transportation and recreational receptors in Guyana. It is expected that the guidelines will operate under and provide the necessary support to the Environmental Protection Noise Management Regulation of 2000.

In the standard, noise is defined as, “unwanted sound which may cause or tend to cause an adverse psychological effect on human beings and includes vibration.” Noise is measured in decibels (dB). The new guidelines values or limits noise in specific environments as stated in the standard include for residential areas 75dB in the daytime and 60dB at night; for industrial, 100 dB during the day and  80dB at nights and in commercial districts 80dB daytime and 65dB at night.

The GNBS urges persons who play music indiscriminately or those who operate machines without the requisite mufflers to take note of the new guidelines. It urges them to take the necessary steps to reduce sound emissions to below the acceptable limits of standard. The public can acquire the standard from the GNBS office.

The standard also addressed the sampling method for determining noise levels, the method of analysis for the purpose of determining compliance with the limits and a monitoring programme. The home ministry and labour ministry and the Environmental Protection Agency are the enforcing authorities of this standard.