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In Need of a Tranquil Kitchen

Kitchens are notoriously noisy but they don’t have to be. Small steps in facility design and equipment selection can greatly reduce noise levels. Foodservice designers can lead the design team toward strategies for creating quieter kitchens. Keeping noise levels low increases kitchen staff productivity, reduces accidents and allows for mindful eating in the dining room. New building standards such as the WELL Building Standard from the International WELL Building Institute suggest certain decibel levels.

Kip Serfozo CamachoKip Serfozo, FCSI, LEED, AP ID+C, Camacho USA, Norcross, Ga.The WELL Building Standard is the world’s first building standard that focuses exclusively on human health and wellness. In fact, certain decibel levels represent necessary criteria for meeting WELL Certification. In the United States NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) provides recommendations on noise exposure in the workplace, too. For the purposes of this article, though, I will focus my thoughts on ways to lower kitchen noise and keep kitchen noise from migrating to public areas.

Primary Noise Sources

Commercial kitchens generally feature four common noise sources: the dish room, the cooking exhaust ventilation/hood, other equipment-generated noise and operational noise related to communication and physical contact with pots/pans. We will look at ways to minimize these sources along with some architectural strategies.

Noise loves to travel in straight lines because that uses less energy. Think of running; it’s easier to run straight than around a corner. So, try not to have a direct line between the kitchen door and the dining room. Create an alcove or some turning point, so the noise must work harder to reach diners. Specify rubber gasket fin seals for all kitchen doors. The food-grade seals feature antimicrobial rubber. From an architectural standpoint, use double drywall layers with wall insulation to prevent noise mitigation to the dining room. And all the perimeter kitchen walls should extend up to the building deck structure.

From an interior design standpoint, the ceiling tiles should have the maximum NRC (noise reduction coefficient). Currently the highest food-grade NRC tile has a 0.9 rating. If you try to mitigate noise from traveling to the floor above the kitchen, specify a tile with a high CAC (ceiling attenuation class). A good one to choose is 30.00 or more. Anti-fatigue floor mats, known for their comfort, also serve as great noise reducers in the kitchen. If you have the wall space, a hydroponic vertical wall garden will absorb a great deal of noise — and the vegetable prep team can trim as necessary. With any open kitchen design, consider minimizing the opening to create just a peek, or use a glass window separation.

Reducing Equipment Noise

Now let’s look at equipment. The dish room generally emerges as the loudest area. Foodservice designers can specify dishwashers with extra-insulated stainless steel wall construction. Dishwashers are all rated according to decibel level, making cross comparison easy. While you are at it, look at all the other dish room mechanical equipment, such as large pulpers, mechanical conveyors and garbage disposers. Pulpers can be moved to the exterior back dock or enclosed in a separate room.

As a rule, do not locate a loud piece of equipment on a shared wall with dining or public spaces. Try to position the dish drop-off area to avoid a direct line to the dining area. In a cafe setting, position a wall as a barrier to deflect noise coming from the dish room.

Next comes the cooking exhaust hoods. Again, hood extractors come with a decibel level rating that makes it easy to compare across manufacturers. In addition, specify variable speed fans, which can run at lower levels during training. These units also reduce energy consumption because they tend not to run when equipment sits idle during certain dayparts.

If noise sensitivity is critical, as is the case in fine dining and certain healthcare environments, situate the exhaust fan farther away from the hood and specify an exhaust fan with a higher tip speed. This adds construction cost but serves as an effective strategy.

Mechanical condensers on refrigerators/freezers and ice makers are extremely noisy. To reduce noise, remotely locate these condensers outside the building either on the roof or on a grade-level cement pad.

Everyday Operations Noise

To reduce operational work station noise, specify stainless steel work tables with the following characteristics: sound-deadening mastic, heavier 14-gauge tops, and fully welded leg gussets attached to tabletop channels. These features will greatly reduce the noise generated from chopping and working with pots/pans and countertop equipment such as mixers and slicers. With countertop equipment review the decibel levels in the specifications and choose noise enclosures when possible, such as for blenders. If a piece of equipment emits audible alerts, try to specify one with an adjustable alert decibel level, or that has a visual alert like a flashing light or icon. Alerts can be sent to cell phones as well (set to vibrate). Any equipment that vibrates should have sound-absorbing antimicrobial rubber feet.

It’s a myth that chefs are loud and yell all the time. The only reason they do that is because it’s so loud in the kitchen — they don’t have a choice! Most chefs are quiet, creative people. One way to minimize yelling is to provide the kitchen team with audio headsets. This is a very effective way to improve communication, increase concentration and reduce noise levels.

Measure noise and sound with different criteria. The WELL Building Standard uses noise criteria (NC) as a measurement of sound. NC more accurately measures low-frequency noise produced by HVAC and other mechanical equipment. Low frequency noise can cause a lot of disruption for occupants in kitchens. The WELL Building Standard suggests a maximum NC of 40 in work stations.

NIOSH on the other hand recommends maximum allowable daily noise doses. It looks at decibel levels along with timed exposure. For example, a kitchen worker experiencing 85 decibels should only work an eight-hour shift. WELL Certified buildings must offer mindful eating zones that are generally quieter relative to other environments, so limiting kitchen noise migration is key.

By following the above recommendations, you can design a more quiet, tranquil kitchen environment. Download a sound level meter app on your phone. Monitor your progress. Your kitchen staff will love you.