This British Standard describes methods for determining, at the outside of a building:
a) noise levels from factories, or industrial premises, or fixed installations, or sources of an industrial nature in commercial premises; and
b) background noise level.
The standard also describes a method for assessing whether the noise referred to in (a) is likely to give rise to complaints from people residing in the building. The method is not suitable for assessing the noise measured inside buildings or when the background and rating noise levels are both very low.
NOTE. For the purposes of this standard, background noise levels below about 30 dB and rating levels below about 35 dB are considered to be very low.
Examples of how to use the standard to obtain noise ratings and to assess the likelihood of complaints are given in annex A.
BS 4142:1997 history
2019BS 4142:2014+A1:2019 Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound
2014BS 4142:2014 Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound
1997BS 4142:1997 Method for rating industrial noise affecting mixed residential and industrial areas