We’re delighted to announce that the Cirrus Research stand at this year’s Safety & Health Expo has received the Highly Commended Award in the Space Only category! (Well done to SHE Software Ltd who won the 1st prize).

We’d like to thank everyone involved in the design and build of our stand this year including all of the team at ICM Creative and Moda.

This year we introduced the Noise Doctors who were on hand to provide advice and information about our range of noise measurement instruments as well as advice on how best to make noise measurements.

We also presented “BANG! And the Noise is gone!” in the ARCO Academy where we demonstrated how loud some common noises really are and how long you can be exposed to them. 2013 was a successful show for the Noise Doctors and we’re looking forward to 2014 and the move to the Excel in London.

We’re currently collating the entries for the competition that we ran on the stand so if you entered, we’ll be in touch shortly to let you know if you’ve won one of the fantastic prizes.

If you’ve got any comments or questions from the show or if we can offer you any information or assistance, please do get in touch and we’ll be pleased to help.

See you all next year!

The Noise Doctors.

To meet demand from our customers, we’ve added a set of new dates for the CPTC or Cirrus Product Training Course.

Our courses are held at a number of venues across the UK including the Brands Hatch Circuit, Oulton Park Circuit, The East Midlands Conference Centre and the Castle Combe Circuit.

These courses are the ideal opportunity for you to learn how to get the best from your noise measurement equipment.

Although there is an outline to the courses, each course will be tailored to meet the needs of the delegates. We may focus more on the software or the optimus sound level meters, depending upon what each delegate wants to get from the day.

The course tutors will be able to discuss with you before the day what you would like to cover. There’s plenty of time for discussion over refreshments as well as at the end of the day.

The current dates for the course are:

• Tuesday 4th June 2013  - MacDonald Hotel, Falkirk
• Wednesday 19th June 2013  - Oulton Park Circuit, Cheshire
• Thursday 27th June 2013  - Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent
• Wednesday 3rd July 2013  - Castle Combe Circuit, Wiltshire
• Wednesday 10th July 2013  - The East Midlands Conference Centre
• Thursday 10th October  - Castle Combe Circuit, Wiltshire
• Wednesday 23rd October  - Oulton Park Circuit, Cheshire
• Tuesday 12th November  - The East Midlands Conference Centre
• Tuesday 19th November  - Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Demand for places is high so we would recommend booking early to guarantee your place and you can book your place on-line through our website.

For further information please call Craig Storey on 01723 891655 or visit the training pages on our website at www.cirrusresearch.co.uk/training

We’re delighted to announce that the optimus red and optimus green sound level meters have been granted Type Approval to UNE-EN 61672 Parts 1 & 2 in Spain by Applus+, one of the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification companies.

After a series of long and detailed tests, which include both electrical and acoustic verification, approval numbers have been issued for the Class 1 optimus green and optimus red instruments as follows:

CR:161A, CR:161B & CR:161C
CR:1710, CR:171A & CR:171B

The approval numbers are:

No. 02-001-B-62/13-R  the CR:161 (optimus red) sound level meters

No. 02-001-B-63/13-R CR:171 (optimus green) sound level meters

The standards that were used in the verification were:

UNE-EN 61672-1: electroacústica : sonómetros. Parte 1, Especificaciones
UNE-EN 61672-2: electroacústica : sonómetros. Parte 2, Ensayos de evaluación de modelo

What is Type Approval?

Type Approval, or Pattern Approval, is a method where a test laboratory such as the Applus, PTB or LNE tests an instrument against a set of standard tests to ensure that it meets the performance claims of the manufacturer.

The optimus sound level meters have been designed to meet the requirements of IEC 61672 (and the corresponding UNE-EN, EN and DIN standards) and so these independent test have been carried out to verify that that the instruments do indeed meet these requirements. The IEC 61672 standard is in three parts.

The first of these is known as Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 1: Specifications  and this defines the performance specifications for the instruments.

Part 2 is known as Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 2: Pattern evaluation tests and this defines the tests and checks that a laboratory must carry out when they are testing an instrument for Type or Pattern approval. These are the tests that the PTB have been carrying out on the optimus sound level meters.

Part 3 is known as Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 3: Periodic tests  and this defines the tests that should be carried out during a Periodic or routine verification.

This post has more information about the different sections of the IEC 61672 standard.

Related Posts:

What is Type or Pattern Approval?

Updated Type Approval for the Cirrus Optimus Green Sound Level Meters

AuditStore Data Verification

PTB Type Approval for the Optimus Sound Level Meters

Tonal Noise Detection with the optimus green sound level meters

Ask the Noise Doctor at Safety & Health Expo 2013

The Noise Doctor will be on the Cirrus stand F20 at Safety & Health Expo 2013.

If you’ve got a question about noise measurement or if you’re looking to see the latest in noise measurement instruments, including the optimus sound level meters, come along and ask us a question.

You can also complete one of our “Ask the Noise Doctor” forms and we’ll get back in touch after the show with some advice and information.

Don’t forget to enter our “Play your sounds right” competition when you ask your question.

Win one of 10 prizes with the Noise Doctor and our “Play your sounds right” Competition

Put the noises in the correct order of level and you could win one of 10 prizes in our “Play your sounds right” competition.

You can enter the competition by completing an entry form on the stand or by entering the Sound Tardis and playing the game on the wall of sound!

For more details of the competition and terms and conditions of entry, click here.

If you’re coming to Safety & Health Expo, let us know and we’ll be delighted to see you. If you’ve got a question that you’d like to ask, just fill in the form on our Noise Doctor website and we’ll see you at the show!

Click here to let us know when you’re coming.

We’re delighted to announce that the CR:171C Optimus Green Sound Level Meter has been granted Type Approval by the PTB in Germany.

In addition to these, we’ve recently received Type Approval to UNE-EN 61672 in Spain for the CR:161A, C:161B, CR:161C, CR:1710, CR:171A and CR:171B  instruments.

We’re also pleased to announce that the CR:161 series (CR:161A, CR:161B, CR:161C & CR:161D) now carry Type Approval in Serbia.

The CR:171C is currently the top of the optimus green range and includes all of the features of the other members of the optimus range as well as a set of new functions, including the ability to trigger audio recordings not just from level exceedences but from tonal noise and the rate of change of the noise.

This new approval adds to the existing PTB Type Approval for the Class 1 Optimus Sound Level Meters.

The following instruments now carry PTB Type Approval to IEC 61672 (DIN EN 61672):

• CR:161A Class 1 Integrating Sound Level Meter
• CR:161B Class 1 Data Logging Integrating Sound Level Meter
• CR:161C Class 1 Data Logging Integrating Sound Level Meter with 1:1 Octave Band Filters
• CR:1710 Class 1 Data Logging Environmental Sound Level Meter with Acoustic Fingerprint triggering
• CR:171A Class 1 Data Logging Environmental Sound Level Meter with Acoustic Fingerprint triggering & 1:1 Octave Band Filters
• CR:171B Class 1 Data Logging Environmental Sound Level Meter with Acoustic Fingerprint triggering with 1:1 & 1:3 Octave Band Filters
• CR:171C  Class 1 Data Logging Environmental Sound Level Meter with Acoustic Fingerprint triggering, 1:1 & 1:3 Octave Band Filters, Extended Ln measurement and Tonal Noise Detection.

Find out more about the optimus green sound level meters.

All of the optimus  sound level meters feature the unique AuditStore data verification system and the optimus green instruments (CR:170 Series) add the Acoustic Fingerprint triggering system which allows the sound level meters to start and stop audio recordings based on a range of noise parameter, not just the overall noise level.

This feature is very powerful and places the optimus green sound level meters at the forefront of noise measurement technology.

Related Posts:

What is Type or Pattern Approval?

AuditStore Data Verification

PTB Type Approval for the Optimus Sound Level Meters

Tonal Noise Detection with the optimus green sound level meters

Type Approval, or Pattern Approval, is a method where a recognised test laboratory, such as the PTB in Germany or LNE in France in the case of sound level meters, tests an instrument against a set of recognised and published standards to ensure that it meets the performance claims of the manufacturer.

The laboratory will test a number of samples of the product to check that they all meet the required standard. Once this has been completed and all of the samples have passed the tests, that particular model, or type, is approved and certified as meeting the claimed standards.

This is the same process that is applied to, for example, cars. When a car manufacturer wants to sell a new model in the European Union, it must undergo tests to ensure that it conforms to the required standards. It’s not possible to crash test every vehicle so a number of sample vehicles are tested and when they have all passed, the vehicle type is approved.

Sound level meters from reputable manufacturers will be designed to meet certain International standards. These standards lay down the performance criteria for the instrument and how it should perform under specified conditions, and they are usually published as an International standard, followed by a regional or national version. This is the reason why there are often slight differences in the dates of published standards.

There are quite a few different standards that a sound level meter may be designed to meet. Below is the list of standards that the optimus sound level meters have been designed to meet:

• IEC 61672-1:2002 Class 1 or Class 2 Group X
• IEC 60651:2001 Type 1 I or Type 2 I
• IEC 60804:2000 Type 1 or Type 2
• IEC 61252:1993 Personal Sound Exposure Meters
• ANSI S1.4 -1983 (R2006)
• ANSI S1.43 – 1997 (R2007)
• ANSI S1.25:1991
• 1:1 & 1:3 Octave Band Filters to IEC 61260 & ANSI S1.11-2004

The primary standard that the optimus sound level meters are designed to meet is the IEC 61672 standard. This has superseded and replaced the older IEC 60651 and IEC 60804 standards but these are still quoted as they are still referred in measurement standards that are yet to be updated.

In many countries, there is a requirement to have measurement instruments independently tested to ensure that they do indeed meet the claims of the manufacturer. This requirement is often specified in measurement standards, guidelines and regulations.

Cirrus has submitted the Class 1 optimus sound level meters to a number of different National test laboratories and testing organisations including the PTB in Germany and LNE in France and these laboratories carry out a set of tests to verify the performance of the instrument.

Once these tests have been completed and the instrument has been verified as meeting the claimed standards, a certificate is issued and the information about the approval is published by the test laboratory.

The tests that are carried out by these laboratories are specified in Part 2 of the IEC 61672 standard.  The IEC 61672 standard is in three parts.

The first of these is known as Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 1: Specifications  and this defines the performance specifications for the instruments. This is the document that sound level meter manufacturers use to design their instruments against.

Part 2 is known as Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 2: Pattern evaluation tests and this defines the tests and checks that a laboratory must carry out when they are testing an instrument for Type or Pattern approval. These are the tests that have been carried out on the optimus sound level meters by the test laboratories such as the PTB and LNE.

Part 3 is known as Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 3: Periodic tests  and this defines the tests that should be carried out during a Periodic or routine verification.

Related posts

IEC 61672 – A standard for sound level meters in three parts

LNE Type Approval for the CR:515 Acoustic Calibrator

PTB Type Approval for the Optimus Sound Level Meters

Enter our “Play your sounds right” competition at the Safety & Health Expo and you could win one of 10 prizes including an iPad Mini or a Google Nexus 7!

Just put the sounds in ascending order of level and you could win one of 10 prizes.

To enter the competition, just visit Cirrus Research plc on stand F20, next to the ARCO Academy, and either complete an entry form and post it into the box or enter the Sound Tardis and play the game on the wall of sound.

Prizes

There is one first prize. The winner can choose between a 16GB iPad Mini, a Google Nexus 7 (32GB/WiFi/HSPA+) or Sennheiser MM 550-X Noise Cancelling Headphones.

There are 4 second prizes. The winners can choose between a 16GB iPod Nano or a Kindle Fire.

There are 5 third prizes. The winners can choose between a pair of Sennheiser CX281 In-ear headphones or a pair of AKG K420 headphones.

The winners will be notified within 28 days of the close of the 2013 Safety & Health Expo.

Details of the winners will be available from Cirrus Research plc from the end of June 2013.

If you have any questions, please contact James Tingay at Cirrus Research plc.

Terms & Conditions

1. To enter the competition, correctly identify which noises are higher and which are lower from four sets of pictures. Play the game in the tardis on stand no. F20 with one of the Cirrus Noise Doctors. Game cards are also available at the Cirrus registration unit on the front of the stand, printed on the back of the pre-printed registration cards.All correct entries will be automatically entered into a prize draw. The Organiser will determine in its absolute discretion the final winner and 9 runners up by reference to the prize draw.
2. All entries must be submitted on or before 4.30PM GMT on Thursday 16^th May 2013.
3. This competition is open to all attendees of the Safety & Health Expo 14-16^th May 2013 aged 18 or over excluding employees of Cirrus Research and their immediate families, or anyone professionally connected with the competition. Entries from parties generating/making multiple entries, seemingly fraudulent entries or entries via agencies will not be accepted.
4. Prizes:
   1. 1^st prize: The overall winner determined by the prize draw will be offered a choice of three prizes – 16GB iPad Mini or Sennheiser MM 550-X or Google Nexus 7 32GB WiFi/HSPA+.
   2. 2^nd prize: 4 runners up will be offered the choice of two prizes – 16GB iPod Nano or Kindle Fire.
   3. 3^rd prize: 5 runners up will be offered the choice of two prizes – Sennheiser CX281 or AKG K420 Headphones.Only one prize per winner.  No cash alternatives will be offered. The organisers reserve the right to offer a substitute prize of equal or greater value should any prize mentioned become unavailable.
5. The winner/s of any prizes will be notified by email within 14 days of the closing date of the competition.
6. The names of any winners can be obtained after 7 days of the closing date by sending a SAE requesting such names to Cirrus Research plc, Acoustic House, Hunmanby, North Yorkshire YO14 0PH  United Kingdom.
7. The Prizes will be sent out to the winners within 28 days of the close of the competition.
8. Cirrus Research plc may publish the names of the winners on the Cirrus Research Facebook page and/or on other promotional material and every entrant gives its consent to Cirrus Research doing so by participating in the Competition.  The Organiser shall in any case comply with the terms of its Privacy Policy which can be viewed on www.cirrusresearch.co.uk but extract of which is detailed below.
9. We may from time to time use your Personal Information to send you information by email or post about us, our products and/or other information that you may find useful.  If you do not wish to receive this information please contact us using the following email address: sales@cirrusresearch.co.uk.  We may also use your Personal Information when you participate in certain promotional activities (for example, if you participate in one of our competitions, we may use your Personal Information to conduct that competition, publicise your identity if you are a winner or runner up, and/or to add your Personal Information to our database for the other purposes contemplated by this privacy policy.)
10. Cirrus Research reserve the right to cancel or amend the competition at any time, without prior  notice.  Any decision made by Cirrus Research in relation to this competition is final and binding.
11. In exchange for the right to participate in the competition, each participant agrees to (a) these Terms and Conditions, and (b) release and indemnify the Organiser from any and all claims, demands and/or causes of action of any nature or kind whatsoever, whether presently known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, that arise out of the participant’s participation in the competition.
12. Apart from death or personal injury arising from the Organiser’s negligent acts or omissions, the Organiser will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from entrants’ participation in the competition or from the enjoyment of any prizes that entrants may win.
13. The Organiser is Cirrus Research plc, Acoustic House, Hunmanby, North Yorkshire YO14 0PH  United Kingdom. Registered No 987160
14. This competition will be governed by the laws of England and Wales and any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Cirrus will be presenting “BANG! And the Noise is Gone!” in the ARCO Academy at the up-coming Safety & Health Expo. The presentation is at 12pm on Wednesday 15th May, the middle day of the expo.

The presentation will be an interactive demonstration of how loud noises really are and how long you can be exposed to different noises before exceeding the actions levels of the Noise at Work Regulations.

The audience will be encouraged to get involved in the presentation which will be run by the Noise Doctors from the Cirrus stand F20 and there’s a chance to win one of 10 prizes in the “Play your sounds right” competition. Entry forms can be posted on the Cirrus stand, F20, which is right next to the ARCO Academy.

If you’re planning on visiting the Safety & Health Expo, sign up now and get involved! Click here to register for Safety & Health Expo 2013.

About the ARCO Academy.

Visitors to the Arco Academy will be encouraged to take part in live demonstrations and discussions that will centre on education through innovation, and the growing role behavioural safety is playing in transforming safety cultures across the globe.

This interactive and lively theatre will host vibrant, forward thinking presentations from key organisations from across the occupational health and safety industry.

For more details of the presentation at Safety & Health Expo, click here.

Visit the Cirrus Research stand on F20 at Safety & Health Expo and keep up to date with what’s happening in the world of noise measurement instruments from Cirrus.

Ask the Noise Doctor at Safety & Health Expo 2013

The Noise Doctors are here to help

On the stand will be the Noise Doctors, ready to answer your noise measurement questions and to provide advice, products and support.

On show will be the optimus sound level meters, the industry leading noise measurement tools for noise at work and environmental noise.

The optimus red sound level meters have been designed to meet the needs of anyone who is working to the Noise at Work Regulations and provide all of the measurement parameters needed.

Supplied with the intuitive NoiseTools software, the optimus can also be used for environmental noise measurements and can be combined with the doseBadge noise dosimeter to provide a complete Safety Officers Noise Measurement Kit.

All of these products will be on display and available for demonstration on the Cirrus stand, F20.

Play your sounds right and win!

Visitors will be able to enter our “Play your sounds right” competition and win a range of prizes by putting sounds in order of noise level. Entries can be posted on the Cirrus stand by completing an entry card or by playing the game on the Wall of Sound, located within the Sound Tardis.

BANG! And the Noise is Gone in the ARCO Academy

The Cirrus Noise Doctor team will be presenting a session in the ARCO Academy where they will be demonstrating just how loud 85dB really is. The team will be asking the audience to participate in guessing how loud noises are and how long it would take for the Noise at Work Action levels to be exceeded.

This fun and interactive presentation will be at 12pm on Wednesday 15th May in the ARCO Academy, next to the Cirrus stand (F20).

Training & Support

Cirrus will be announcing a range of support and training services at Safety & Health Expo including a new 3 1/2 day Noise Course in partnership with ARCO, a set of new dates of the CPTC (Cirrus Product Training Course) and a new support website.

Come along to stand F20 and find out how a Cirrus sound level meter enhanced by our range of training and support can help make your noise measurements simple.

What is the Noise Doctor?

The Noise Doctor is a range of advice, products and support services put together by Cirrus Research, the experts in noise measurement instruments.

At Cirrus, we’re often asked questions such as:

“What is the best sound level meter for me to meet the Noise at Work Regulations?”,

“Why do I need to get my sound level meter calibrated?”

“Can I get training on using my sound level meter?”

The Noise Doctor is here to answer your questions and to help you find whatever you need.

Find out more about the Noise Doctor and ask your question on our website at www.the-noise-doctor.co.uk or on our main website at www.cirrusresearch.co.uk/the-noise-doctor/

Follow the Noise Doctor on Twitter @TheNoiseDoc and see the Noise Doctor in action at the 2013 Safety & Health Expo, Stand F20.