Vietnam Releases Proposed Amendments to Technical Regulations to Limit Noise and Vibration 
On August 15, 2022, the Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the General Department of Environment released drafts of the National Technical Regulations(QCVN) for Noise, Vibration, and Sedimentation and solicited comments. These drafts has been published in accordance with the implementation plan “2664/QD-BTNMT on approval of the plan to develop National Technical Regulation (QCVN) on the environment for the period 2020-2022” and each regulation replaces the current regulation. Of these, the number of area classifications that classify the maximum permissible values for noise and vibration has increased compared to the current ones, and reference values have been set in more detail.
The original text of each draft can be downloaded from:
- National Technical Regulation on Noise (QCVN26: 2010/BTNMT Amendments and Supplements)
http://vea.gov.vn/Documents/lay%20y%20kien_Du%20thao%20QCVN%20tieng%20on.pdf - National Technical Regulation on Vibration (QCVN27: 2010/BTNMT Amendments and Supplements)
https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/duthaovbpl/duthaoqcvndorung.pdf - National Technical Regulation on Sediment Quality (QCVN43: 2017/BTNMT Amendments and Supplements)
http://vea.gov.vn/Quy%20chun%20Vit%20Nam/QCVN%2043-2017-BTNMT.pdf
Technical regulations for noise and vibration
The draft technical regulations on noise and vibration specify the maximum permissible values of noise and vibration in the areas where people live, and where activities and business are carried out. Furthermore, the reference values for noise and vibration specified in these draft technical regulations are different from the assessment of workers’ exposure to noise and vibration in facilities such as manufacturing, construction, commerce, and services, and limit the occurrence of noise and vibration in the external environment.
The current technical regulations for noise and vibration (QCVN26: 2010/BTNMT and QCVN27: 2010/BTNMT, respectively) set standards for two types of areas: special areas and normal areas. On the other hand, in the draft released at this time, the following five types of area classification are proposed.
| Category | Specific facilities |
|---|---|
| Area A |
|
| Area B |
|
| Area C |
|
| Area D |
|
| Area E |
|
Noise and vibration generated from Type 1 manufacturing, trading, and service facilities
The annex to the QCVN on noise and vibration designates facilities using specific equipment, devices, tools, and implements as “Type 1 Manufacturing, Trading, and Service Facilities.”
The following values are proposed as the maximum permissible values for noise and vibration generated from these Type 1 Manufacturing, Trading, and Service Facilities.
Table: Maximum permissible noise value (unit: dB(A)
| Affected area | Hours | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime 06:00 – 18:00 | Evening 18:00 – 24:00 | Night 24:00 – 06:00 | |
| Area A | ≤ 50 | ≤ 45 | ≤ 40 |
| Area B | ≤ 55 | ≤ 50 | ≤ 45 |
| Area C | ≤ 60 | ≤ 55 | ≤ 50 |
| Area D | ≤ 65 | ≤ 60 | ≤ 55 |
| Area E | ≤ 70 | ≤ 65 | ≤ 60 |
Table: Maximum permissible vibration value (unit: dB(A)
| Affected area | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime (06:00 – 22:00) | Night (22:00 – 06:00) | |
| Area A | ≤ 60 | ≤ 55 |
| Area B | ≤ 65 | ≤ 60 |
| Area C | ≤ 70 | ≤ 65 |
| Area D | ≤ 75 | ≤ 70 |
Noise and vibration generated from other facilities
On the other hand, the following values are proposed as the maximum permissible values for noise and vibration generated from facilities that do not fall under the category of Type 1 Manufacturing, Trading, and Service Facilities.
Table: Maximum permissible noise value (unit: dB(A)
| Affected area | Source | Hours | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning 05:00 – 7:00 Evening 18:00 – 22:00 |
Daytime 07:00 – 18:00 |
Night 24:00 – 05:00 |
|||
| Areas A, B, C | Speakers | Items to be installed outdoors | ≤ 60 | ≤ 65 | ≤ 60 |
| Indoor to outdoor generation | ≤ 50 | ≤ 55 | ≤ 45 | ||
| Manufacturing, trading, and service facilities in the same building | ≤ 45 | ≤ 50 | ≤ 40 | ||
| Other manufacturing, trading, and service facilities | ≤ 50 | ≤ 55 | ≤ 45 | ||
| Construction sites under construction | ≤ 60 | ≤ 65 | ≤ 50 | ||
| Areas D, E | Speakers | Items to be installed outdoors | ≤ 65 | ≤ 70 | ≤ 60 |
| Indoor to outdoor generation | ≤ 65 | ≤ 65 | ≤ 55 | ||
| Manufacturing, trading, and service facilities in the same building | ≤ 50 | ≤ 55 | ≤ 45 | ||
| Other manufacturing, trading, and service facilities | ≤ 60 | ≤ 65 | ≤ 55 | ||
| Construction sites under construction | ≤ 65 | ≤ 70 | ≤ 50 | ||
Table: Maximum permissible vibration value (unit: dB(A)
| Affected area | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime (06:00 – 22:00) | Night (22:00 – 06:00) | |
| Area A | ≤ 65 | ≤ 60 |
| Areas B, C, D, E | ≤ 70 | ≤ 65 |
Regulation for sediments
This technical regulation specifies the maximum permissible values of parameters for sediments in freshwater, seawater and steam water. This regulation is used for the management and evaluation of sediments for the purpose of protecting aquatic organisms. The parameters in the sediment and their maximum permissible values have been amended compared to the current national technical regulation QCVN 43: 2017/BTNMT. Specifically, this draft specifies 33 parameters, removing total hydrocarbon (THC) compared to the current QCVN. The permissible values for each parameter have also been updated. For details, see Table 1 in the draft.
