The Competent Technician in Acoustics ( TCA ), according to Law no. 447 of 1995 " Framework law on noise pollution ", is the professional figure suitable for carrying out measurements, verifying compliance with the values ​​defined by current regulations, drawing up noise abatement plans and carrying out the relevant control activities.

Legislative Decree 42/2017 , in force since 19 April 2017, has redefined the criteria for exercising the profession of Competent Acoustics Technician ( TCA ).

On 10 December 2018, the Ministry of the Environment (now the Ministry of Ecological Transition) established the National List of Competent Technicians ( ENTECA ).

Who can carry out the activity of Competent Acoustics Technician (TCA)?

According to the provisions of Legislative Decree 42/2017, the profession of Competent Acoustics Technician can only be carried out after registration in the National List of Competent Acoustics Technicians ( ENTECA ).

HOW TO BECOME A COMPETENT TECHNICIAN IN ACOUSTICS (TCA)

Those in possession of a technical or scientific degree or master's degree and at least one of the following requirements can apply to register on the TCA list:

• have successfully passed the final exam of a university master's degree with a module of at least 12 credits on the subject of acoustics, of which at least 3 acoustic laboratories, in the topics covered by Law 447/1995 according to the course outline indicated in the Legislative Decree 42/2017;
• have successfully passed the final exam of a course in acoustics for competent technicians authorized by a Region and carried out according to the course outline indicated in Legislative Decree 42/2017;
• have obtained at least 12 university credits in the field of acoustics, of which at least 3 from acoustic laboratories, issued for exams relating to courses whose program incorporates the contents of the course outline indicated in Legislative Decree 42/2017;
• have obtained the title of doctor in research , with a doctoral thesis in environmental acoustics.

Temporary time

Legislative Decree 42/2017 specifies, on a transitional basis until 19 April 2022 , that anyone who holds a technical high school diploma or scientific high school diploma and the following two can also apply to register on the Enteca national list. requirements:

• have carried out professional activities in the field of applied acoustics for at least 4 years starting from the date of communication of the start to the region of residence, on a non-occasional basis, in collaboration with a competent technician or employed by public structures, attested by suitable documentation. The non-occasional nature of the activity carried out is assessed taking into account the duration and relevance of the services relating to each year;
• have successfully passed the final exam of an acoustics course for competent technicians carried out according to the scheme reported in Legislative Decree 42/2017.

Carried out according to the scheme reported in Legislative Decree 42/2017

Duration : 180 HOURS

• Fundamentals of acoustics (physical acoustics, elastic perturbations, fundamental quantities, sound waves, sound levels and the logarithmic scale - the auditory system, the effects of noise on humans, the audiogram, psychoacoustics);
• The propagation of sound and the acoustics of confined spaces (the propagation of noise, the acoustics of confined spaces, sound absorption, reverberation time - sound-absorbing materials, sound insulation, the law of mass, the power soundproofing);
• Instrumentation and measurement techniques (measuring instruments, the sound level meter, the frequency analyzer, the third octave - the FFT, the calibration, the calibration and the preparation of the instrumentation - the measurement processing software, recording systems, diffusion systems - techniques for measuring and detecting noise pollution);
• The national, regional and municipal regulations (the framework law 447/95 and the implementing decrees, the Legislative Decree 42/2017, the TCA - the current legal limits, the competences of the Regions and Municipalities - the classification plan acoustics, the rehabilitation plan, municipal regulations, authorizations in derogation);
• Noise from linear transport infrastructures (acoustic regulation of road and rail transport infrastructures - plans for containment and abatement of noise from linear infrastructures, EIA instructor, noise and vibration component);
• The noise of airport transport infrastructures (methodology for measuring airport noise, regulations for the reduction of noise pollution produced by aircraft, anti-noise procedures and respect zones of airports, plan for the containment and abatement of airport noise);
• Other national regulations and European Union legislation (acoustic regulation of motorsport activities, acoustic regulation of places of dancing entertainment or with electroacoustic systems - the European directives for acoustics, the directive on noise emissions from noisy machines, the directive on the management and determination of environmental noise);
• The passive acoustic requirements of buildings (general principles of architectural acoustics, national legislation, criteria for correct installation - testing, acoustic classification of real estate units);
• Executive criteria for the planning, rehabilitation and control of noise emissions (executive criteria for the measurement and evaluation of the acoustic contribution of individual sources, drafting and procedures for the municipal acoustic classification - drafting of the impact and acoustic climate assessment, design of acoustic improvements, verification of the effectiveness of interventions, mitigation of road/railway noise - monitoring of airport, road and large construction site noise, determination of acoustic requirements and limitation of sound sources);
• Noise and vibrations in working environments (acoustics, evaluation of noise and vibrations in working environments, the effects of long-term exposure, vibrations, the physical phenomenon - sector regulations, vibration measurement, the prediction of vibrations, instruments and techniques for measuring noise and vibrations);
• Forensic acoustics (private and public legislation, tolerability and acceptability, procedural aspects, official technical consultancy, electronic filing of the report, the reference legislation, technical issues, case studies, structure of the consultancy relationship
• Practical exercises (use of sound level meters and acquisition software - use of construction design software - use of sound propagation software)

ING. VALERIO RAVEL

ING. ALESSANDRO TITO

ING. PASQUALE MANCINI

ING. MARIO DI MUZIO

ARCH. IGNAZIO SILVESTRINI

Legislative Decree 42/2017 introduced the obligation of professional updating for TCAs .

In particular, those registered in the national ENTECA list must participate, within 5 years from the date of publication in the list and for every subsequent five-year period , in refresher courses for a total duration of at least 30 hours, spread over at least three years.