Enjoying good food away from the surrounding clamor. Dialogue with one’s diners, without losing a nuance of tone. An idyll denied in too many restaurants and clubs. Where the hall noise, the hubbub, the obnoxious clattering of plates and glasses prevent conversation ‘with legs under a table.’ They lose the joy of conviviality as well as reputation and business.
Restaurants and clubs, the costs of indigestible noise
The bad reviews
on ‘
social
‘ – due to noise on the premises, which causes stress there where relaxation is sought – are now the first stimulus, for managers of public establishments, to seek remedy. (1) The alarm bell sounds on ‘Trip Advisor‘, with penalizing reviews such as ‘good food but too much chaos‘, ‘excessive noise‘, ‘not recommended for business meetings‘, etc. This risks undoing years of effort and investment in the quality of food, raw materials and service.
Quality in catering
must therefore not neglect-regardless of the ‘
target
‘ of clientele-the reception of the premises. Which is not only related to(dutiful) hygiene, care in decor or the presence and courtesy of the employees. But also, and most importantly, to the possibility for patrons to experience conviviality. To distract from the stresses of work or continue it in a more informal atmosphere, rather than to experience a few moments of intimacy with friends and loved ones. Without the need to shout, or wish to get out as soon as possible (perhaps leaving bad reviews).
Noise costs, to the reputation of the venue but also to those who work there. To the hall attendants and managers themselves, who generally spend more time there than anyone else. Thus the already heroic efforts of restaurateurs worsen the quality of their lives, with often unrecoverable outcomes. Hearing loss (hearing impairment) is one of the top three occupational diseases recorded each year. Together with osteo-muscular and carpal tunnel diseases, it makes up a triptych that expresses 80 percent of work-related illnesses reported to the INPS. Although waiters-because of habituation, familiarity or the need to keep their jobs-do not appear in the rankings of workers affected by the phenomenon.
A jackhammer in operation is hardly comparable to the noise of a rowdy restaurant. Since in the former case we measure-and suffer from-noise impact, in the latter the environmental noise climate. And the latter can be measured, with sound detection equipment, in terms of the differential from the background ‘noise climate,’ that is, free of the noise caused by the activities under consideration. The disturbance experienced by those who frequent a noisy venue is therefore comparable, for example, to that which characterizes call center offices. And not surprisingly, work in call centers is already ranked among the jobs at risk of hearing loss, as documented by Anfos (National Association of Occupational Safety Trainers). (2)
Premises noise, the legal risks
The crime of ‘
disturbance
of the occupation and repose of persons’ is prosecutable on complaint, often brought by condominiums and neighbors of noisy premises. (3) It is ascertained by detecting an ‘ambient noise climate’ differential, within neighboring homes and offices, of 5 dB or more during the day, 3 dB at night. The proceedings are settled out of court, in most cases, following installation of soundproofing panels on the ceiling and walls of the premises. Also in order to avoid negative repercussions on licensing.
Moreover, the legislation lacks specific requirements, both on the limits to be checked during operation and the insulation materials to be used. (4) ‘The maximum noise thresholds (95 decibels, dB) apply only to voluntary sound transmission, through amplifiers and speakers, which in any case requires municipal authorization and compliance with legal thresholds, ‘ indicates Emilia Wanderlingh, a Milanese architect with 30 years’ experience in the field.
Sound insulation, economy and style
Economy is at the heart of choices on sound insulation.‘To choose from the outset very high-performance materials on soundproofing and reverberation-free costs three times as much, 120 euros instead of 40 for a basic panel,’ explains architect Wanderlingh. ‘What’s more, the intervention, if included in the early stage of the work, also has a better performance in terms of aesthetics. And yet, many renounce it.’
Initial savings choices prove counterproductive, however, and often result in subsequent investments that are not as effective and purposeful, when not greater. ‘It is precisely when the venue loses customers that shelter is sought by adding sound-absorbing foam panels, but the result is different. Such panels are very choreographic, as they change the style of the room, but in many cases they remain a palliative’.
It is a matter of style, the acoustic quality of the environment. ‘If you work with enlightened entrepreneurs, it is easy to share the importance of acoustics. I estimate a real focus on this issue in the top 10% of restaurateurs‘, Emilia Wanderlingh continues. Why ‘creating a muffled, feel-good environment where you hear every word from your diners and nothing from the other tables is a prerequisite for a successful business. If this requirement is missing, even the finest food is debased by noise‘.
#EnjoyTheSilence!
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) See Szalma JL, et al. (2011). ‘Noise effects on human performance: a meta-analytic synthesis’. Psychol Bull. 2011 Jul;137(4):682-707. doi: 10.1037/a0023987
(2) See pamphlet
ANFOS
, at https://www.anfos.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/anfos-2013-opuscolo-rischio-rumore-ambienti-di-lavoro.pdf. Consider also that those who work in restaurants do not even have ‘headsets with microphones,’ which the operators of the
call centers
also use as personal protective equipment
(3) Criminal Code, Article 659
(4) See Law 447/95, ‘framework law on pollution’ . DPCM 215/99 and subsequent amendments, ‘Regulations containing standards for determining the acoustic requirements of sound sources in places of dancing and public entertainment and in public establishments‘. See also.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
