High speed hand dryers don’t have to be excessively noisy – Airdri includes noise reduction in design of machines

Hand drying system provider Airdri welcomes new research issued this week by Goldsmiths, University of London, warning about the risks of loud noise from high speed dryers.

Trudi Osborne, Marketing Communications Manager of Airdri Ltd, said: “Architects and planners need to think about a range of social issues when specifying equipment, including noise and size of equipment for more accessible access.

“We have given great consideration to noise reduction and other health-related factors when designing and developing our dryers. Indeed in 2012 Airdri was the first in the high speed (fast dry) hand dryer category to be awarded the Quiet Mark for our new high speed hand dryer, The Classic+ MkII. This is an international mark of approval from the UK Noise Abatement Society which encourages worldwide companies to include noise reduction when developing the design of machines and appliances used in everyday life.

“Exceptional performance doesn’t have to mean excessive noise. Droning drills, whooshing washing machines, and screeching shredders are sounds we endure in our everyday lives. This research, which found that dryers have a particularly negative impact on people with hearing and sight problems, and dementia sufferers, backs up previous data from the World Health Organisation. Their data revealed excessive noise can seriously harm human health, affecting concentration, disrupting recreation, inducing stress and causing cardiovascular harm.

“Hand dryer noise is an important aspect for many people when deciding which hand dryer to purchase. Our own client feedback has shown, for instance that children dislike loud dryers, with many frightened to use them. Airdri has listened carefully to our customer requirements and designed The Classic+ MkII, to reduce noise levels without reducing functionality. We have also designed slim hand dryers to enable better access.

“Hand dryers are better for the environment than the waste caused by paper towels and high speed hand dryers are vastly more energy efficient than traditional hand dyers. That is because they use less energy and are in use for a shorter period of time. One major trade off to high speed hand dryers has been that they tend to be louder than slower hand dryers. There are a lot of quiet hand dryers available, but they don’t offer the same high speed performance. We’re pleased to be the first in the high speed category to reduce noise levels with this new dryer and to have been recognised by external experts for our innovative, quiet design.”