speech writing mask for safety

8 STEPS TO WRITING THE WORKPLACE SAFETY SPEECH

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Writing an engaging safety speech can be a challenge.

This 10 page guide has been specifically written for CEO's, executives, safety and communication professionals who need to write or deliver a safety speech to their workforce.

How to structure your safety speech

What techniques to use to get maximum understanding and connection to your audience.

What information you need to include.

Get access to both a report and a cheat's checklist to help you write your best safety speech ever!

Download now to improve your safety results.

Download the Free Report Now

Inspirational Safety Speeches for Graduations, Projects, and More

Safety is an essential aspect of our daily lives, whether at work, at school, or in our homes. It’s a critical topic that deserves our attention and focus, no matter the occasion. That’s why I’m excited to present this article containing various safety speeches for different occasions.

Inside these speeches, you’ll find important reminders of the role safety plays in our lives and how to prioritize it in different settings. From graduation ceremonies to project launches, these speeches are meant to inspire and motivate individuals and teams to make safety a top priority.

Each speech is unique, yet they all share a common thread: the importance of safety in our daily lives. Whether you’re a student, a worker, a manager, or a leader, these speeches will provide you with valuable insights and practical advice on how to prioritize safety and create a safe and healthy environment.

I hope these speeches will inspire you to make safety a priority in your life and encourage you to share them with others. Remember, safety is everyone’s responsibility, and by working together, we can create a safer, healthier, and more productive world.

Safety Speech Open Air Opening Ceremony

Safety speech prior to starting a project, safety speech for graduation ceremony, bonus parts you can include in your safety speech.

Good day everyone,

As we gather here today for our outdoor event on the graded ground in this hot weather, I want to remind everyone of the importance of safety precautions. It’s essential to ensure that everyone has a pleasant and enjoyable experience without compromising their safety.

First and foremost, make sure to stay hydrated. The heat and sun can take a toll on your body, so it’s crucial to drink plenty of water or other hydrating fluids regularly. We have arranged for water stations throughout the venue, and we encourage you to make use of them frequently.
Secondly, Despite our event is planned to not to take long, we have prepared some chairs in the corner for those of you who might feel exhausted or tired and prefers to sit.
Thirdly, we ask that you be mindful of your surroundings. Keep an eye out for potential hazards on the ground, such as loose rocks, potholes, or uneven terrain. If you see anything that could cause harm, please inform the event staff immediately.
Fourthly, we have Ms. ***, our Nurse is here to provide first aid services for out esteemed guests.
Finally, please follow all safety guidelines and regulations. We have put in place measures to ensure everyone’s safety, including crowd control, emergency procedures, and security measures. Please cooperate with our staff and follow their instructions at all times.

At the end, we want everyone to have a great time while staying safe at our event. Let’s all do our part to make this event enjoyable and memorable for everyone. Thank you.

Dear Project Team,

Congratulations on the start of our new project! As we embark on this exciting journey, I want to remind you of the importance of safety.

Safety should be a top priority for everyone involved in this project. Whether you’re working in an office or a construction site, it’s crucial to take safety seriously and make it a part of your daily routine.

Always assess potential hazards in your work environment and take appropriate measures to minimize risks. This may include wearing safety equipment, following established safety procedures, and staying alert to potential dangers.

In addition, make sure that everyone on the project team is aware of the safety protocols and procedures that are in place. Encourage open communication and a culture of safety so that everyone feels comfortable reporting any safety concerns or incidents.

Remember that safety is not just about avoiding accidents or injuries. It’s also about creating a safe and healthy work environment for everyone involved. By prioritizing safety, you’re not only protecting yourself and your colleagues, but you’re also contributing to the success of the project.

As you start this new project, I encourage you to take safety seriously and make it a priority in all your work. By doing so, you’re setting a strong foundation for success and creating a positive and productive work environment for everyone involved.

Good luck with your project, and stay safe!

Dear Graduates,

Congratulations on your achievement! As you prepare to enter the next phase of your life, I want to take a moment to remind you of the importance of safety.

Safety is a crucial aspect of our daily lives, and it should be taken seriously. Whether you’re entering the workforce, starting a new academic program, or traveling to new places, it’s essential to keep safety in mind at all times.

As you move forward, I urge you to prioritize your safety and the safety of those around you. Take the time to assess potential hazards in your environment, and always be aware of your surroundings. Whether it’s a busy city street, a construction site, or a natural disaster, it’s important to know how to keep yourself safe.

Remember to take proper precautions, such as wearing safety equipment, following established procedures, and seeking help when necessary. Never be afraid to speak up if you feel unsafe, and always listen to the advice of those who have more experience.

In the modern world, safety can sometimes be taken for granted, but it should never be underestimated. Your safety is essential to your success, your well-being, and your future.

So, as you celebrate your graduation and look forward to your next adventure, I encourage you to stay vigilant, stay safe, and remember that safety always comes first. Congratulations again, and best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. The ground is graded, and the weather is hot, so we advise wearing comfortable and breathable clothing that covers your skin and protects you from the sun. Additionally, it’s best to wear closed-toe shoes that offer adequate support and grip.

Eight Steps to Writing the Workplace Safety Speech

November 12, 2013 by Admin Leave a Comment

Writing an engaging Safety Speech can be Tricky. This New Report reveals the Key Steps behind writing a convincing Workplace Safety Speech.

Melbourne, Australia (11 April, 2012) – Digicast Productions, a safety and induction training video production house, today released a new white paper “Eight Steps to writing the Workplace Safety Speech”.

Effective communication is vital to get staff and contractors aligned and working towards a positive safety culture. Yet, trying to engage your workforce about a new safety initiative through a safety speech is not easy. How we communicate about safety influences whether or not people will accept or reject our safety messages.

The main objective of any safety speech is to motivate staff to take safety seriously and to change behaviour. But how do you encourage behaviour change in a workplace speech?

Written for CEO’s, senior executives, safety professionals and communication professionals, find out how in this exclusive white paper, which looks at:

The secret to developing an emotional connection to your audience
How to communicate to the left brain, right brain and whole brain
3 steps to structuring your safety speech

For a complete copy of the whitepaper, that also includes a free Safety Speech checklist, visit http://info.digicast.com.au/safety-speech/

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How to speak and present clearly with a mask on

Nothing can stop you from becoming a top communicator, not even a pandemic. Here are the best practices for you to speak and present clearly with a mask on.

By TJ Walker

Be Louder When Speaking Through a Mask

Whether you are working from home or you are communicating in an office space, it’s important to know how to look and sound your best when giving a presentation in a post-covid world . As professionals, being consistent with our company’s image and our personal brands are a top priority. Being adaptable to new contexts and situations provided by the pandemic will help give you and your firm an active boost in your image. Being adaptive to the changing circumstances by refining the presentation abilities of individuals at your firm may be necessary to compete in this economic climate.

When presenting with a mask on, it is important to note that a mask muffles the volume at which you speak. If you are performing an in-person presentation, then wearing a mask may be necessary when indoors. The solution to this challenge is to speak louder than normal–– yet that doesn’t mean that we need to yell. All we need to do is to be 20% louder so that our colleagues and clients can hear us clearly. While this may feel unnatural at first, what’s more important than our personal comfort is how we come across to clients and colleagues.

Facial expressions

When speaking with a client or colleague one-on-one, then it is highly likely that they are wearing a mask as well. If the volume of their voice is muffled and distorted, be sure to use your body language to let them know that you are not able to hear them. You can do this by tilting your head to the side with your ear facing them, using your hands or facial expression to gesture to your hearing. If those solutions don’t work, then you may want to take a pause to mention that it is hard to hear them and request that they speak up. This can be especially challenging for some if they are at a farther distance away or are soft-spoken. The bottom line is to help facilitate the best possible circumstances to be actively engaged with clients and colleagues.

The challenge that we all face while we’re in public is that one of the most significant aspects of our body language communication is now compromised–– our facial expressions. Thankfully, our eyes and eyebrows can still be used to effectively communicate our expressions. It’s vital now more than ever to be extra animated through our eyes, eyebrows, and our hand gestures. While this may take more effort, it is the best way to be sure that we get our points across to those we are communicating with. Be sure to look and engage them with your eyes to communicate more clearly .

Be More expressive than Normal

Don’t be afraid to be more expressive than usual with your body language and volume of voice. We cannot pretend that we are behind a metaphorical wall (i.e. our masks) because of our circumstances. Our responsibility as effective communicators is to circumvent this mental barrier which is currently detracting many people from having successful conversations. We can overcome this by committing to the best process of delivery and communication effectiveness while wearing a mask.

Prospects and colleagues may not be able to see your face, but they can see your expressiveness. Be sure to keep six feet away, perhaps more distance if you are indoors in a poorly ventilated area. Keep in mind that the closer you are, the more effective you will come across. It is normal to feel uncomfortable around others during this time, and it’s equally as valuable to make measured assessments of appropriate distancing around others depending on the conditions.

The Fundamentals of Good Communication Remain the Same

No matter the conditions of your next presentation or even the next time you need to speak to someone in person, the fundamental rules of communications are still the same. Either way, you still have to listen to people and affirm that you are listening to them. It is critical to make an extra effort to establish rapport and open communication with people now more than ever. Because people are generally more uncomfortable than ever before in public, being extra enthusiastic and generous with our undivided attention is a luxury that we can offer to distinguish ourselves and our firms from our competitors.

Use Deliberate Eye Contact When Presenting

When giving a presentation or speech, be mindful to pause a little more and take more time to take the pulse of the room more frequently. Be sure to scan each individual in the room, establishing eye contact for a complete thought before moving onto the next person. This way, we can still be deeply connected with our audience and can follow best practices for body language communication. In addition, it allows us time to register whether they are actively engaged or following what we are saying. Without our facial expressions to keep people alert, many presenters are finding that their in-person audiences are more distracted than before. By continually scanning the room and engaging each audience member through eye contact, you can still ensure that your audience will give you their undivided attention, despite people’s heightened distractibility.

Conclusion: Best Practices Remain the Same

Whether it’s a time of pandemic or not, be clear about the message you want your audience to remember. The best practice for helping an audience remember your message is to sue a relevant story. This story can be a case example to help make your ideas more memorable.

Using these tips, you can be a great communicator with a mask on or off. If you really want to ensure that you grasp these and additional insights, sign up for our course on Zoom conferencing. If it’s a Zoom meeting, you don’t need a mask. But there are still important, little-known insights to follow in order to come across as professional. With this course, you will gain the right mindset to make you more confident and comfortable on camera to help you through this pandemic.

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Woman wearing a mask checking out at the grocery store. The male cashier also wears a mask.

3 ways to get your point across while wearing a mask – tips from an award-winning speech coach

Instructor of Communication and Head Coach, MSU Speech & Debate Team, Mississippi State University

Disclosure statement

Cheryl Chambers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Mississippi State University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

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You wear your mask, keep six feet between yourself and others and are committed to safety. But the measures that help minimize your risk of COVID-19 can also have an impact on your interactions with others.

As you stroll the aisle of a supermarket, you approach someone who looks familiar. To avoid an awkward exchange, you flash them a friendly smile. It’s not until you pass you remember: Your smile was hidden behind a mask. Unloading your groceries at home, you see your neighbor. You excitedly ask her how she is, but when she doesn’t respond, you worry your mask has muffled your voice.

As the head coach for Mississippi State University’s Speech and Debate Team , my job is to teach effective communication. Without question, masks have disrupted social interactions. But communication has many components. You can adjust and enhance your communication by focusing on some of the other pieces that aren’t hidden behind a mask.

Facial expressions are the primary way people exhibit emotion and decipher the feelings of others. Happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear and surprise can be communicated through facial expressions alone . But when part of the face is masked, it becomes more difficult to recognize these cues.

If you cannot read someone else’s emotional state, your ability to empathize with them may be compromised . Likewise, if your own mask is hiding your emotional state, others may not be able to empathize with you . Wearing a mask can also make you feel more distracted and self-conscious , further weakening your connection to others.

Close up of a woman wearing a niqab, who is clearly smiling.

Fortunately, you can regain some control over communication by working with what you have left – the eyes. If you want to increase understanding with a masked individual, you should look them in the eyes – which may be easier said than done. Eye contact triggers self-consciousness, consumes extra brain power and becomes uncomfortable after only three seconds . But bear in mind, eye contact can also make you appear more intelligent and trustworthy .

Body language

You might be surprised how much information is conveyed by the body itself.

For instance, when someone is happy, they stand up straighter and lift their head; when they are sad, they slouch and drop their head; and when they are angry, their whole body tenses up . Learning how people use their bodies to convey emotion may help reduce the uncertainty you feel when communicating with someone in a mask.

Become aware of your own body language, too. When engaged in a conversation, you can appear more attentive by turning your body toward the individual, leaning in or nodding. To let another person know you want to start speaking, straighten your posture, hold up your index finger or nod more frequently . Finally, be aware that imitating the posture of another person can increase how much they like you and even agree with you.

Don’t forget the impact of your voice. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Along with the actual words, you also use volume, tone, pauses and fillers to convey your message . For instance, a lower-pitched whisper may denote sadness or insecurity, whereas a higher-pitched shout could show anger or intensity .

Try this – say the phrase “I didn’t see you there” as if you were scared. Now pretend you are happy. Now confused. Chances are, anyone listening to you could easily identify your emotions without even seeing you. While studies show that masks do not significantly alter your voice , you may feel that your speech gets muffled when wearing a mask.

If you feel the need to speak louder, just be aware that raising your voice can alter the message you are trying to send. Changing the tone of your voice can change the whole conversation, so instead of increasing volume, try improving enunciation.

Putting it all together

While masks may make conversations feel more daunting, you are equipped to communicate, even with part of your face concealed.

Before your next interaction with a friend, think of ways to improve your connection. Pull your hair back so they can see your eyes clearly and find a quiet place to talk. Use your body and voice to convey the emotions you fear your mask might hide. Maybe most importantly, don’t expect it to go perfectly. Just like any conversation, mistakes will be made.

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When someone can’t understand you, try rephrasing your statement, saying it a bit more slowly and enunciating more. If you are struggling to understand someone else, try to ask close-ended questions, like “Do you want to go to the park?” instead of open-ended ones, like “Where do you want to go?”

By all means, continue the proper measures to keep yourself safe, but don’t neglect your relationships as a consequence. Social distance doesn’t have to mean socially distant.

Communication
Uncertainty
Embarrassment
Social connection
Distraction
Conversations
Interpersonal communication
Eye contact
Social interactions
Facial expressions

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Never Give up on Your Dream, Motivational Speeches

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How to Write a Safety Speech

Safety is thrust into the spotlight when someone gets hurt.

You know safety is important, but how do you get everyone on board?

Of course, you're committed to safety, but when demands on your time and your people increase, it's harder to keep it a priority.

In a busy work environment, it's easiest to keep safety top of mind with a safety speech. A motivational safety speech unites people positively around safety excellence. It safeguards your culture.

If you want employees to look out for each other, they need to be motivated.

Safety leaders usually rely on fear-based messages to gain safety compliance. In the short term, they work. Sustaining a safety culture requires motivation. A motivational safety speech builds positive momentum, and long term buys into safety.

Training is the most critical component of a companies safety management program. Everyone benefits from a safety speech through fewer workplace injuries, reduced stress, and a better team environment.

Safety training allows employees to learn their jobs properly.

According to OSHA, Thirty-four states have requirements or voluntary guidelines for workplace injury and illness prevention programs. They recommend initial training and refresher training.

Many organizations have a safety day, a safety program, and regular safety moments that require a safety speech. To plan your safety speech consider the following:

The Audience.

Many safety speeches evolve around front line workers. Because they are on the front line, they are often most at risk. A crowd like this tends to be hands-on, so keep your speech active and work-related. Continue to involve this audience in your safety speech; ask them for feedback and ideas.

All parts of an organization are part of safety, including administration, leadership, and management. Especially if they are not a front line, you need their buy-in. Safety is a priority for everyone, but it's not top of mind (their most crucial safety alert is a paper cut!) With this audience you need to build a logical argument to show them how safety is a priority, especially for the front line. It's a part of your culture.

The Current Safety Environment.

Progress should be calculated and recognized for it to count. Your safety speech is the ideal time to acknowledge progress, appreciate the effort, and highlight the opportunity to improve. Have these stats available to weave into the safety speech.

Also, report misses, near misses, and any occupational health safety policy change.

A GREAT SAFETY SPEECH GOALS:

Give people permission to think about and be involved in safety culture proactively.
It should recognize and ( sometimes) reward safe behavior
Make it safe to speak up about unsafe conditions
Sell people on safety
Build a team culture around safety
Encourage people to slow down when it comes to safety
The role of stress on safety

Interweave these ideas into your safety speech messaging.

Below is a SAMPLE SAFETY SPEECH:

People are safer on the job than at home.

We work hard to create a culture where you can communicate your needs, state your limits, and say "NO" Your safety is our priority.

Nobody on our teams will feel uncomfortable reporting near misses or unsafe work practices. We thank you all for your efforts protecting our safe work culture

We are committed to safety because we are committed to you.

Were committed to your health, your wellness, your future.

Our safety record shows that commitment. ( talk about your safety record)

We can't do it without you.

It's your diligence that matters. It's your grit and dedication that matters. It's you that matters.

It takes a team to do great things. Remember to lean on your team and encourage each other to grow.

Everybody deserves to feel safe at work.

Never feel uncomfortable about speaking up. Your voice matters.

Every time you speak up about safety, you could be saving lives.

Our workloads have increased. With less time and resources, we lose focus on safety.

When we neglect safety, we neglect each other.

When it comes to safety, We have your back.

Slow down, look around, and make safety awareness your priority.

( reinforce safe work behaviors needed to do the job)

We want to reinforce the goals of our safety program.

Review accident loss reports, review safety bulletins, and safety procedures, and weave this into your safety speech.

(End of Sample Safety Speech)

Remember to keep your message firm but uplifting.

Listening to accident statistics or learning about new procedures can be annoying to employees. Keep your message positive and reassuring. Your team needs to feel like they are achieving something, and their efforts are contributing to a safety culture.

Offer examples and suggestions for improvement—layout strategies that work and how we can be more successful. In any safety speech, people will only remember several points, so keep it short and memorable.

As a safety motivational speaker , I focus on getting the audience to buy into a healthy culture where safety has to be a priority.

Ready to hire a safety speaker? Find out how.

Topics: howtowriteamotivationalspeech , keynotespeakers , safetyspeaker , safetyspeech

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COVID Communication Skills: Speaking Through A Mask

Clear communication skills are always important, but speaking clearly just got a little harder if you have to wear a face mask in public places. Here are some potential problems you may experience when speaking through a face mask as well as some suggestions for optimizing the clarity of your communication.

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Which COVID Face Masks Are Best for Speech Intelligibility and Student Comprehension?

By Acoustical Society of America December 9, 2020

With the ubiquity of masks due to the coronavirus pandemic, understanding speech has become difficult. Pasquale Bottalico has been studying the effects of masks on communication and he will discuss his findings at the 179th ASA Meeting. Credit: Bottalico

As instructors continue to wear masks for the safety of themselves and their students, the question of which types of masks allow for the best speech intelligibility has a large impact on education.

With the ubiquity of masks due to the coronavirus pandemic , understanding speech has become difficult. This especially applies to speech in classroom settings, where the presence of a mask and the acoustics of the room have an impact on students’ comprehension.

Pasquale Bottalico, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been studying the effects of masks on communication. He will discuss his findings on the best way to overcome hurdles in classroom auditory perception caused by facial coverings at the 179th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held virtually December 7-10. The talk, “Speech intelligibility in auralized classrooms when the talker is wearing a face mask,” will be presented at 3:15 p.m. Eastern (U.S.) on Wednesday, December 9, as part of a session on classroom acoustics.

“Fabrics are often used for sound absorption due to their porous structure. A porous material absorbs sound energy as it dampens the oscillation of the air particles through friction,” Bottalico said. “As a consequence, face masks act as a low-pass filter that attenuates speech intensity, mainly at mid-to-high frequencies that are fundamental for speech comprehension.”

According to Bottalico, the frequency range most important for speech intelligibility falls within the range face masks affect the most.

In a comparison of three types of masks — a three-layer fabric mask, a surgical mask, and an N95 mask — in two different classroom settings, he found the fabric masks to be the most unfavorable option for listener comprehension and strongly suggests instructors use surgical or N95 masks.

“Because of the problems that COVID-19 is forcing us to face, the significance of this study consists in giving recommendation on the best type of masks to wear while teaching to minimize their negative effect on speech intelligibility,” said Bottalico. “The use of surgical and N95 masks can minimize negative effects on speech intelligibility and the students’ listening effort while protecting instructors and students alike.”

Meeting: 179th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America

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How Masks Impact Communication

Erin Vollmer MS, CCC-SLP

March 24, 2022

Wearing a Mask Can Impact Speech & Hearing

Wearing a mask has become part of our daily life and that continues throughout the current pandemic. We wear masks to stop the spread of COVID-19, to protect ourselves and the people around us. As we log more and more time in masks, many want to understand how wearing a mask can impact speech and hearing . In addition, there are some strategies we can use to ensure that our children are communicating effectively and understand those around them.

Let’s review some important information about masks and communication:

Wearing a mask removes many visual cues that we get from the speaker.
Masks attenuate sound by three to twelve decibels and also result in low-pass filtering of high-frequency sounds. This can make it more difficult to understand speech and some higher-pitched voices (Goldin et al., 2020).
Masks hide many non-verbal cues, such as smiling.

Since masks are necessary, and often required, we can work to ensure that children do not lose skills that may be impacted by wearing a mask.

Here are some ways we can improve communication during this pandemic:

Tips for Improving Communication While Wearing a Mask

Wear a clear mask. Let’s start with visual cues. Visual cues, such aspointing to your lips to remind the child to close his/her lips when producing /b/ and /p/, are instantly removed when wearing a mask.If you are worried about the loss of these visual cues in speech therapy, teletherapy is a fantastic option! There is no need to wear a mask. If speech therapy must be done in-person, there are now a variety of masks that have a clear section for the mouth so that children (and adults) can see the speaker’s mouth. A quick online search will reveal a number of masks for speech therapists designed to improve service delivery while staying safe. These masks have provided us with one way to offer effective speech therapy while wearing a mask. We can also use videos to show visual cues that have been removed as a result of a mask. In the classroom setting, providing the necessary visual cues may not be possible. In these cases, we turn to the parents for help. If you see your child struggling with a speech sound, try to encourage him/her to watch your mouth at home. If he/she continues to struggle with speech sound production, that’s when you may want to contact a speech therapist.
Use images and gestures to support understanding and/or rephrase and speak more slowly when wearing a mask. If you or your child is struggling to hear the speaker’s message, the speaker can use visuals (such as pictures) or gestures to support the listener’s understanding. You can find images easily on a phone, tablet, or computer. The speaker can also show what it is that he/she is talking about through pointing or perhaps even acting it out! In addition, the speaker may be able to re-phrase what was said. The use of context can be really helpful in these situations. Last but not least, try to slow down. Decreasing your rate of speech can significantly help with intelligibility.
Engage with eye contact, use hand gestures, and maintain positive body language when wearing a mask. We need to be a bit more creative when it comes to the loss of non-verbal cues. We also must increase awareness as it’s easy to forget just how much we communicate non-verbally. A thumbs up is an easy gesture that can be used when a smile can’t be seen. Maintaining eye contact and the use of other hand gestures can be helpful as well. A person can also convey emotions and feelings through body posture.

If you have concerns about your child’s development, please don’t hesitate to reach out! TherapyWorks team of pediatric therapists are happy to consult with you and make recommendations. Schedule a free phone consultant or click the button below to answer a few questions about your child. A TherapyWorks team member will follow up with you right away.

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Toolbox Talks

19th May, 2020

How To Start A Safety Talk

It might sound simple, but safety talks can often get forgotten, and on many of the sites we have visited safety talks just don't get done as often as management would like them to be. In this post we look at some of the best ways to start a safety talk.

Health and safety talks are important. They can raise awareness of hazards. They can help improve health and safety. They can help people understand risks. And they can help you comply with your legal requirements .

But how do you start a safety talk?

It might sound simple, but safety talks can often get forgotten. But why don't they get done? Well, sometimes it's because having to talk about something for 5 minutes to a group can seem daunting. Preparation and practice are key here. Planning for safety is essential . Even when you plan to do them, in many workplaces safety talks just don't get done as often as management would like them to be. But once you get into the routine of starting a health and safety talk, that's half the battle won.

Of course, you can start a talk any way you like. It's better to do something, then to do nothing. But for the best chance of a successful talk, one that delivers a message, a talk that is listened to, and one that makes an impact, you should:

Pick a good time
Pick a good topic
Prepare the talk
Deliver the talk

And once you are at the delivery stage, you can start your talk. Because having a good topic prepared, and giving the talk at the right time, means the talk will be both interesting and useful to your team.

Timing is important. While health and safety talks should be short and sweet, they also need to be relevant and grab attention. Start a safety talk at the wrong time, and your team might not be listening to the important safety message you are trying to share.

One of the best times to start a safety talk is at the start of the shift. This is the most beneficial time to deliver the talk because:

The workers are ready to start work
The talk will be fresh in their minds throughout the shift

Thinking about it, this makes sense. At the beginning of the day (or the start of the shift) your team is ready to work. If you can give them some relevant information in the talk, that applies to the work they will be doing, they are going to take notice. Because it applies to them. It's information that is going to be useful there and then.

If you did the talk at the end of the shift, the team will go home and the information will start to go stale before they have a chance to apply it to their work. They might have their minds on other things at the end of the shift, like what they are doing that evening, or picking the kids up, or what's for dinner. And if your talk is going to delay them leaving. They are so busy thinking about all those other things, your talk just didn't sink in at all.

You don’t have to be rigid with your safety talk schedule, having some flexibility with when you give a safety talk means you can start it at one of the best and easiest times. But aim for the start of the shift, when you can get the most attention.

And we have mentioned it already, but the best way to start a safety talk is when it is most relevant. So only start your talk once you have picked a topic. Your talk should be short and to the point. So figure out what the point of your talk is before you start.

Timing is not just about the time of day, but also about the timing of the work you are doing. There's not a great deal of relevance in a talk about underground services if you are working on a decorating project. Plan your talks to be delivered at the time they relate to the work being undertaken or the issues you are experiencing.

Let’s say the site is getting messy, this is a perfect opportunity to start a safety talk. Get the team together and start a talk on good housekeeping . Raise awareness of the dangers of a messy site, from slip and trip hazards, to fire risks.

When your about to start some work at height. Great, another opportunity for a safety talk, maybe one on scaffolding ? Let your team know the dangers of working at height, and the equipment in place to provide safe access, and how to safely use it.

About to start some excavation work? Start a talk about excavations or underground services . Make sure everyone knows how to act safely in and around excavations, and what rules must be followed.

If the talk is relevant to the work that is being carried out, or a health and safety subject that keeps cropping up on-site, it will be more interesting and useful to the team. They can apply the knowledge, ask questions and put forward ideas. Each day, your workplace becomes safer, as people apply the information from the talk.

There are hundreds of health and safety topics you can choose from. And with regular talks, you can quickly build up the level of health and safety awareness in your workplace. Over time, you will cover more and more topics, in short, relevant bursts. And before you know it, health and safety has become a positive habit for every member of your workforce.

Now you have your topic sorted, you need to talk about it. Health and safety talks are easier to start when you have something prepared, so get some notes together on a relevant subject, or use one of our pre-prepared toolbox talks .

Remember, health and safety talks on-site should be short and to the point. 5-10 minute refreshers, rather than full health and safety courses. So don't worry about writing an essay on the topic. Just include the important key information your team needs to know. And for larger topics, it might make sense to break the talk down over several days, so that the information is still easy to digest when delivered in a talk format .

Go ahead, start a safety talk, we've prepared 30 free toolbox talks for you to download today.

This article was written by Emma at HASpod . Emma has over 10 years experience in health and safety and BSc (Hons) Construction Management. She is NEBOSH qualified and Tech IOSH.

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20 Roofing Safety Topics You Can Use For Toolbox Talks

Struggling to come up with roofing safety topics? Roof work is one of the most dangerous construction trades, so talking about safety in roofing is essential. Here are 20 easy-to-talk-about safety topics for roofers to get you started.

9 Reasons To Have Daily Toolbox Talks

There is no legal requirement to carry toolbox talks out daily, so don’t panic if you’re not that frequent with them yet. But there are many reasons why daily toolbox talks are better for your business, health, safety, and your team. In this post, we look at 9 reasons to have daily talks.

7 Toolbox Talk Formats (With Ready To Use Examples)

In this blog post, we'll look at 7 toolbox talk formats including informal chats, safety briefings, handouts, presentations, demonstrations, videos and software. Some are quicker to get started than others, some do the hard work for you, and some need a bit of preparation.

Spend less time on paperwork. Start with the free plan today.

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Mind & Body Articles & More

How to communicate when everyone is wearing a mask, people are paying a communications penalty for covering their faces against covid-19. but the science suggests we can still get a lot across..

Around the world and in many parts of the United States, people are wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This creates a real challenge for human communication, whether it’s in a grocery store, classroom, or workplace.

“It’s harder to connect with another human being when you can only see a third of their face,” says John Rose, who teaches about happiness and ethics at Duke University.

He notes that we convey warmth through smiles, which isn’t really an option in an all-mask environment. That “makes it harder to teach because I want to know, are they surprised, confused, do they find it funny?”

Rose is right to be concerned. We need to mask up in a global pandemic that has killed millions of people—but more and more research suggests that masks do inflict a penalty on person-to-person communication. Fortunately, much of the same research suggests that we can work around our masks through gestures, voice, and especially eye contact.

While this work has practical implications for communication during a pandemic, the science also reveals how the different components of human communication interact so that we can identify and understand each other.

What we miss when we mask

“In losing the lower portion of the face, we lose enormous amounts of information about another person’s emotion,” says Dacher Keltner , a UC Berkeley psychologist and cofounder of the Greater Good Science Center. “The lower face includes actions that powerfully signal emotion, such as lip puckers, presses, open mouths, and lip licks.”

He adds, “ Studies reveal that even though we see the eyes, knowing that someone is showing the orbicularis oculi contraction around the eyes, we still lose the ability to see if someone is loving or desirous, or amused or content, or astonished or joyful.”

Many studies suggest that the upper and lower halves of the face work together to communicate emotion—and if that link is broken, then humans struggle to comprehend each other. Keltner uses the example of seeing a furrowed brow over a mask. Without the lower face, he says, “We don’t know if that is a sign of anger, which involves the tightening of the buccinator muscle around the mouth, or concentration, which doesn’t involve that muscle action.”

Masks affect identity recognition, as well—which isn’t at all surprising, on the levels of both common sense and science. Indeed, outside of the context of a global pandemic, the whole point of most mask-wearing is to hide or change identity.

In a pandemic, the implications of this fact are somewhat complex. The research to date suggests that our brains develop feelings about someone as our recognition of them grows. We track changes in expression along one neural pathway, and we identify people in a specialized region of the brain called the fusiform face area. It’s the interaction between these two pathways that make other people socially meaningful to us.

Masks inhibit that process—and thus create significant potential for social and emotional misunderstanding.

How masks affect trust

In a recent paper published in Scientific Reports , Malte Reichelt and her colleagues studied the impact of masking on trust. They asked a representative sample of over 2,000 Americans to take part in a game where they were offered advice by a stranger in a video, who is sometimes masked and sometimes unmasked.

They found that around 5% fewer individuals trusted advice when it was given by someone wearing a mask, which suggests that masking can reduce trust. When the researchers looked more closely at the people who were less likely to trust, economic hardship seemed to be the most important variable: People who were unemployed or underemployed in the previous year—or who had partners in that boat—were significantly less likely to follow advice by a masked stranger.

Beliefs mattered, too. Americans who didn’t believe that masks work in preventing COVID-19 were significantly less likely to trust the masked stranger. To Reichelt, that means people need to be more educated about the necessity of masks. “Increasing trust among one another would likely be facilitated if masks were only seen as protective and less as an ideological symbol,” suggests Reichelt, an assistant professor of social research and public policy at NYU Abu Dhabi.

It follows that believing in masks would lead to greater social trust—and, in fact, that was the result of another new study conducted deep into the pandemic. When a team of Italian researchers evaluated trust across three circumstances—no mask, transparent mask, and standard mask—they found that standard medical masks actually made people trust each other more . This result confirms an observation from an earlier study of masks and trustworthiness during the pandemic.

“We speculate that, as the study was conducted during the pandemic, facemasks are taken as a proxy of social compliance and caring,” write the Italian researchers.

Even so, the standard medical mask still reduced people’s ability to accurately perceive identity and emotion. Taken together, these studies suggest a bottom line: Understanding the necessity of masks seems to help bring us together, but it still hobbles our ability to connect.

Your voice and gestures are powerful

So, does this mean we are doomed to confusion and conflict in the time of the mask and social distancing? Absolutely not. Humans still posses an arsenal of ways to comprehend each other.

Our sounds might be sometimes muffled, but according to a 2019 study by Keltner and his colleagues, we can convey 24 kinds of emotion through our voices alone. One 2017 study even found that the voice can communicate more emotion than the face. And in brain scans of people engaged in only vocal communication, researchers found that their neural activity still gradually synchronized, even when faces were hidden. The more their brains came to mirror each other, the more they understood the content of each other’s speech.

We can also gesture with our hands to convey nuance and meaning.

A string of experiments conducted in the 1970s found that observers can guess the identity of a conversational partner with a hidden face from their gestures alone; even very young children can do this. Through watching gestures, we can tell friend from stranger, gauge their emotional state, and even accurately guess their age.

We don’t just “talk” with our hands. Kneeling , for example, can communicate submissiveness, reverence, deference, mourning, and vulnerability. When actively listening to another person, we nod, lean forward, and avoid defensive postures like folding our arms or turning away.

However, our most important resource lies in our eyes.

What your eyes can do

Parents naturally train their children from birth to communicate through the eyes, by gazing warmly at them or through games like peek-a-boo. That’s a skill we develop throughout our lives.

Humans possess an uncanny ability to detect another person’s gaze through subcortical neural pathways—and feeling eyes on us involuntarily activates social cognition centers of the brain. In other words, we immediately become self-conscious and get ready for social interaction .

Emotional Intelligence Quiz

Facial expressions are a universal language of emotion. How well do you read other people?

Among both human and nonhuman primates, eye contact is a signal of social intent. Human beings can see at a glance if another person wants to hug us, attack us, or run away from us, based only on the information we find in and around their eyes.

According to research , making eye contact can activate the brain’s reward system, if it’s with a friend—or trigger the amygdala, if we perceive a threat. In a conversation, eye-to-eye contact synchronizes the frontal temporal and parietal systems “within and across brains.” Whether it’s in person or over Zoom, according to one new study , locking eyes activates the autonomic nervous system and can trigger a smile . It can also signal a turn in a conversation , from one topic to another.

In short, the eyes do a lot of the work of communication—and that’s especially true when we’re wearing masks.

Rose, the Duke professor, has seen this firsthand in his seminar course that aims to discuss controversial topics freely. In these sometimes-tense classroom discussions, masks can be an impediment to empathy and understanding. To get around that obstacle, Rose has learned to rely on other aspects of human communication.

“I think I’ve gotten better at reading people’s eyes,” he says. “I think the other thing is that it forces you in your communication skills to really articulate and really be clear.”

Of course, communication through the eyes goes both ways. Rose’s insight is echoed in a study by Eeva Haataja and her colleagues, which used gaze-tracking glasses and video cameras to observe communication with three teachers and their 47 students.

The researchers found that students would gaze at teachers’ faces more when those teachers exhibited two different qualities. The first was a high level of “communion,” which could be defined as friendliness or warmth. The second was a low level of agency, which could be defined as showing control or direction.

Of course, culture plays a role in shaping communication through eye contact. As a team of University of Wisconsin researchers write in one 2020 article :

The frequency and duration of eye contact is lower in East Asian, than in Western European and American, cultures. Japanese adults engage in significantly less eye contact than do either Canadians or Trinidadians during face-to-face interactions. There is also cultural variation in how eye contact is interpreted, with East Asians, as compared to Western Europeans, viewing eye contact as more aggressive and signifying that a person is less approachable. In addition, in many Asian as well as Middle Eastern cultures, the use of eye contact and staring is also a way to convey social status and rank, obliging subordinate individuals to avert or lower their gaze.

Teachers have a range of tools they can use even while they’re masked to communicate, says Haataja, an academic at the University of Helsinki—as do the rest of us, whether we’re at work or in a store.

“In the end, it’s the eyes that are the most important source of emotional information to other people,” Haataja said. “We know that already from small children that it’s the eyes that we look at when we look at other people and we try to interpret the emotions or behaviors of other people.”

Five tips for communicating around your mask

But of course, as we’ve seen, it’s not just eye contact that we can utilize to ensure we have good communication with others. It’s also important for us to adopt an appropriate tone of voice, body posture, and welcoming speech in order to build bonds with the people around us. Here’s a roundup of the ways we can better communicate during COVID-19.

1. Assert the importance of masks in preventing infection, but acknowledge the challenges they create. The evidence is clear: Widespread, correct use of masks prevents community spread of COVID-19. It’s important to say this to each other because it helps us to accept their reality and necessity, in the same way we accept wearing glasses when our vision is bad or wearing a jacket when it’s cold. Adults come to accept these items because we know their advantages outweigh any inconveniences or constraints they might impose. However, this acceptance can open the door to awareness of the drawbacks, which can help us to be more generous with each other when miscommunication happens. It might be important to state both the necessity and challenges aloud, to help everyone remember that they’re facing special conditions.

2. Cultivate mindfulness while wearing a mask. In a paper published last year, Mathias Schlögl and Christopher A. Jones—both medical doctors who specialize in the treatment of dementia—point to simple mindfulness as a way to make yourself understood through a mask. They suggest creating a personal ritual before visiting patients, which is advice that can also apply to educators or anyone running a meeting. “Once we become more aware of our characteristic gestures and body language, we can then go about aligning our nonverbal signaling with our spoken message,” they write. “If we do not practice the habit of underlining everything we say with gestures and pantomime, the message we convey might be harder to interpret.”

Greater Good’s Guide to Well-Being During Coronavirus

Practices, resources, and articles for facing COVID-19

3. Remember that you have eyebrows, eyes, body language, and a voice. For some people, gesticulating and modulating your voice will come naturally; for them, these habits of communication might predate the pandemic. For others, such expressiveness might require more intention and effort . Don’t be afraid to waggle your eyebrows, squint, wave your hands around, or allow more feeling into your voice. Because the mask muffles your voice, you might need to raise it to a level that feels unnatural, and try to enunciate and speak slower than you might otherwise. Remember that communication is a skill, one at which you can get better.

4. Explore the roles of culture and personality. Eye contact and hand gestures mean different things in different cultures. Individuals also have preferences, of course, and they might even have mental or physical conditions that affect nonverbal communication. Time permitting, it might be helpful, at work or school, to have explicit conversations about preferences and expectations. This helps people to get to know each other better, of course, and it can build bridges across differences.

5. Cultivate connection, warmth, and responsiveness. Face the person with whom you’re communicating. Though the protocols of eye contact will vary across cultures, you should at least make sure you have their attention, like a bicyclist at an intersection who makes eye contact with a driver before going through. Make an effort to be warmer and friendlier than you might normally be, to overcome the impediment of a mask. You might also make it a point to check in, from time to time: “Are you hearing me OK? How are you feeling? Should we continue or take a break?” Because communicating in a pandemic consumes more energy and bandwidth than in normal times, people might become tired more easily. Give yourselves frequent breaks, and don’t be afraid to share where you’re at.

“Be as friendly as you can towards the students, whether they’re small children or university students or anything in between,” says Haataja. “Especially during times like this when many of us are struggling with personal issues.”

All this can be difficult, Rose stresses—but in the process we might be gaining new communication skills. “I suppose when we go back to being without masks we’ll all be that much better at communicating,” he says. “To me, it will feel like an athlete taking off ankle weights.”

About the Authors

Jeremy Adam Smith

Uc berkeley.

Jeremy Adam Smith edits the GGSC’s online magazine, Greater Good . He is also the author or coeditor of five books, including The Daddy Shift , Are We Born Racist? , and (most recently) The Gratitude Project: How the Science of Thankfulness Can Rewire Our Brains for Resilience, Optimism, and the Greater Good . Before joining the GGSC, Jeremy was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.

Zaid Jilani

Zaid Jilani is Greater Good ‘s Bridging Differences Writing Fellow. A journalist originally from Atlanta, he has worked as a reporter for The Intercept and as a reporter-blogger for ThinkProgress, United Republic, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Alternet .

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Acoustic and perceptual impact of face masks on speech: A scoping review

Contributed equally to this work with: Gursharan Badh, Thea Knowles

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Communicative Disorders & Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States of America

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Department of Communicative Sciences & Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America

Gursharan Badh,
Thea Knowles

Published: August 25, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009
Peer Review
Reader Comments

During the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment such as facial masks and coverings were mandated all over the globe to protect against the virus. Although the primary aim of wearing face masks is to protect against viral transmission, they pose a potential burden on communication. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the state of the evidence of the effect of facial coverings on acoustic and perceptual speech outcomes. The scoping review followed the framework created by Arksey & O’Malley (2005) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines (PRISMA-ScR; Tricco et al., 2018). The search was completed in May 2021 across the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. A total of 3,846 records were retrieved from the database search. Following the removal of duplicates, 3,479 remained for the title/abstract screen and 149 were selected for the full-text review. Of these, 52 were included in the final review and relevant data were extracted. The 52 articles included in the final review consisted of; 11 studied perceptual outcomes only, 16 studied acoustic outcomes only, and 14 studied both perceptual and acoustic outcomes. 13 of these investigated acoustic features that could be used for mask classification. Although the findings varied from article to article, many trends stood out. Many articles revealed that face masks act as a low pass filter, dampening sounds at higher frequencies; however, the frequency range and the degree of attenuation varied based on face mask type. All but five articles that reported on perceptual outcomes showed a common trend that wearing a face mask was associated with poorer speech intelligibility. The findings of the scoping review provided evidence that facial coverings negatively impacted speech intelligibility, which is likely due to a combination of auditory and visual cue degradation. Due to the continued prevalence of mask use, how facial coverings affect a wider variety of speaker populations, such as those with communication impairments, and strategies for overcoming communication challenges should be explored.

Citation: Badh G, Knowles T (2023) Acoustic and perceptual impact of face masks on speech: A scoping review. PLoS ONE 18(8): e0285009. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009

Editor: Andreas Buechner, Hannover Medical School: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, GERMANY

Received: March 30, 2022; Accepted: April 13, 2023; Published: August 25, 2023

Copyright: © 2023 Badh, Knowles. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: https://github.com/thealk/Speech-In-Masks_scoping_review .

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated several restrictions in the interest of protecting public health, including the wearing of face masks by the general population. Throughout the pandemic, mask mandates and policies have varied from state to state and across the globe [ 1 , 2 ]. During major waves, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations were for all unvaccinated individuals over the age of two to wear face masks indoors, and for vaccinated individuals to wear face masks in areas of high transmission. Mask recommendations from the CDC include masks that completely cover the nose and mouth and are made of two or more layers of breathable fabric [ 3 ]. Early anecdotal reports highlighted the unique challenges to communication brought about by wearing a covering over one’s mouth and nose. While face masks had previously been used to protect against disease in, for example, health care settings, never before had their use been so highly encouraged across a vast population.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge of new research focusing on the effects of face coverings on communication, attempts at characterizing these challenges date back many decades. For example, [ 4 ] found that individuals working in toxic environments indicated that they would often remove respirators since talking with respirators was too difficult. With face mask use now ubiquitous, it is important to investigate their impact on everyday communicative settings. A recent literature review investigating the effects of respirators on speech, found that respirators impact speech intelligibility and verbal communication [ 5 ]. This literature review related findings back to the burden in medical settings and many reports have been on settings such as professional healthcare or occupational settings in which a face mask was necessary.

Face coverings used to protect the wearer from inhaling unwanted particles likely impact communication due to a combination of acoustic and visual disturbances. Any material that blocks the mouth and nose has the potential to impact the speech signal as well as block or distort visual facial cues for listeners. These characteristics, and consequences, may be shared by other types of face coverings, such as alternative coverings that are now more frequently worn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the widespread use of face coverings in the general public, a better understanding of their impact on communication is needed.

The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the state of the evidence at a pivotal point in time (mid-2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) regarding how face coverings, including those that were recommended for and available to the public and not exclusively health care professionals, impact transmission of the speech signal by characterizing their acoustic and perceptual consequences. In the sections following we discuss the role of masks, standardization of masks and the potential burden of face masks on communication. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the most comprehensive review on the topic to date. Given the dynamic nature of this topic, further reviews are likely warranted in the future as more studies are completed. The ongoing information gathering will serve to aid in public policy in the event of future respiratory viruses, and highlight areas in which evidence is lacking. The following sections describe the role of face masks, how their use may be characterized and standardized, and a description of the potential burden they pose on communication.

Roles and standardization of face coverings

Medical grade masks and respirators..

The CDC define a respirator as “a personal protective device that is worn on the face or head and covers at least the nose and mouth” [ 6 ]. The use of a respirator is recommended not only to prevent the spread of airborne disease, but also to prevent inhalation of hazardous particles that may be transmitted via gases or vapors. The term “respirator” is often used to distinguish a class of face coverings designed to filter out very small particles in the air. Other types of face masks used in medical settings, such as surgical masks, may not be designed to filter out small particles, but may still protect against larger droplets. The CDC has outlined seven types of respiratory protective devices: filtering facepiece respirators, elastomeric respirators (half and full facepiece), powered air-purifying respirators, supplied-air respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus, and combination respirators [ 7 ]. Of these, all but the filtering facepiece respirators (which includes the N95) are reusable and either supply air or make use of a filtration cartridge or canister. These may be used not only in healthcare settings, but in military combat in which toxic fumes are a hazard (e.g., gas masks). Filtering facepiece respirators, conversely, are disposable half-facepiece masks that typically provide protection against particles but not vapors or gases.

Medical grade face coverings will often be described in terms of a standard degree of filtration. Face coverings designed and produced for use in situations where a high degree of filtration is necessary (e.g., healthcare settings) will typically be required to meet certain standards. In the US, for example, face coverings classified as respirators, such as those described above, must meet the standards of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) [ 8 ] and may fall into one of several classes that describe the degree of resistance and percentage of filtration of suspended particles [ 9 ]. For example, N95 and FFP2 masks are both designed to filter 95% of suspended particles and are “approximately equivalent” [ 9 ]. KN95 masks do not necessarily meet United States NIOSH standards but are designed to have the same filtration properties [ 10 ]. About 60% of the KN95 respirators in the United States are counterfeit and do not meet NIOSH standards [ 11 ]. N95 respirators are the most widely available NIOSH approved respirator [ 11 ]. Note that in this review, the term “face mask” is often used broadly to include masks that would also be classified as respirators, such as N95s.

In addition to degree of filtration, respirators may also be categorized as disposable or non-disposable. Disposable respirators consist of N95 and KN95 masks and pattern like face masks. Non-disposable respirators consist of powered air-purifying respirators and elastomeric half facepiece respirators. These respirators have air-purifying components to them and can filter out particles such as dust, and fumes [ 12 ].

Surgical masks are a commonly worn medical grade facial covering. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, surgical masks were mainly worn in a medical setting by healthcare personnel as a physical barrier to protect both the patient and the healthcare personnel [ 13 ]. Surgical masks, which may also be referred to as disposable or medical procedural masks, are not NIOSH approved; however, they are cleared for use by the Food and Drug Administration [ 13 ].

Dust respirators are a disposable, non-medical class of respirators that are used to protect against dust during activities in which non-toxic particles may be present, such as mowing the grass or woodworking. Although some dust respirators may resemble N95 respirators, dust respirators are not NIOSH approved. Dust respirators offer a one-way protection only and are not recommended to be used if being exposed to hazardous environments.

Non-medical grade face coverings used as a preventative measure for disease transmission.

Due to the limited availability of medical grade face coverings at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rise in the recommendation and implementation of non-medical grade masks. An example of these are fabric masks. Fabric masks are now widely available and can be made at home or purchased. Cloth masks may have one layer, multiple layers or multiple layers separated by disposable filters. The level of protection provided from fabric masks are dependent on the layers of fabric and the type of fabric [ 14 ]. The CDC recommended wearing cloth masks with multiple layers and a nose wire to ensure proper protection [ 11 ]. During the colder months many may wear scarfs, ski masks and balaclavas; however, the CDC does not consider these substitutes as face masks and recommends these be worn over face masks.

A rise in the use of transparent face masks occurred as a means of providing face coverings that provided visual access to the mouth during spoken communication. Many clear face masks and cloth masks with clear window inserts are available on the market today. These types of masks were designed in order to provide access to visual information provided by the talker’s mouth when wearing a mask. The rationale here is that visual cues may be especially helpful when communicating with individuals who are hard of hearing or have a disability, young children who may be learning to read or learning a new language, and individuals who need to see the proper shape of the mouth. However, many types of transparent material may provide additional acoustic challenges due to the thicker, potentially reverberant materials used. The FDA recently approved of a transparent medical face mask and indicated that these should be reserved for professionals and patients who require them [ 11 ]. Face shields are another type of transparent face covering. Face shields are typically constructed of materials such as polycarbonate or acetate and consist of a rigid, transparent visor that is often open at the bottom and is attached to a frame worn on the head [ 15 ]. They are considered adjunctive personal protective equipment and were not recommended to be used in place of, but rather in addition to face masks by the CDC as their effectiveness is not well established and they are not designed to protect against respiratory droplets [ 12 , 15 , 16 ].

Other types of face coverings.

Many types of face coverings are used for reasons other than to prevent the spread of droplets or particles in the air. Full head enclosures designed to protect against head trauma also often cover the face, such as motorcycle helmets. Activities requiring supplied air rely on full head enclosures as well, such as underwater or space travel. Face coverings have been recommended as a means to protect against poor air quality, such as during fires and highly polluted areas [ 17 , 18 ].

Face coverings are commonplace in certain religious settings. For example, it is commonplace in certain Muslim communities for women to veil themselves in a niqab or a burqa, both of which cover part of or all of the face, including the mouth and nose. Certain garments designed to protect against the cold are designed to be worn over the face, such as balaclavas (which may or may not include a mouth hole), scarves, and neck gaiters. Disguise, either for entertainment or for criminal activity, may also use face coverings such as masks made of various materials, but may also include other types of covers such as balaclavas.

Potential burden of masks

While in many cases the purpose of masking is to protect from hazardous conditions, a potential indirect burden of wearing a face covering is the detrimental impact it may have on communication. In a survey conducted of medical personnel in a hospital in Toronto, Ontario during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, 47% of hospital workers indicated that wearing PPE was associated with communication difficulty [ 19 ]. Due to an increase in the use of face masks all over the globe, this same communication difficulty may be a burden to many.

Face masks may pose a burden to communication for potentially three main reasons. First, relevant visual information is lost due to the covering of the mouth, obscuring lip movements and facial gestures and expression. Second, the mask itself acts as a physical barrier between the listener and the speech source and may absorb or attenuate acoustic information. Third, face coverings may introduce physiological restrictions or behavioral adjustments that may have a bearing on speech. For example, certain masks, such as fitted surgical masks like the N95, may restrict jaw movement resulting in limited oral opening and changes to the filtered speech signal. Wearing the mask may itself indirectly lead to changes in how speech is produced by the wearer, either due to conscious or unconscious knowledge of the previously mentioned barriers. These speech modifications will thus also result in a modified acoustic speech signal. The Institute of Medicine has recommended that there be an increased effort to improve speech intelligibility and reduce communication interference while wearing masks. Although there is a lack of research to support these claims, half-face elastomeric respirators are sometimes marketed with claims of improved communication when manufactured with speaking membranes and/or voice amplifiers [ 20 ].

As a physical barrier that covers the mouth, some degree of acoustic attenuation is likely to occur with all types of face masks. Acoustic attenuation in this case refers to the degree of sound energy dampened as a result of this barrier. The degree of attenuation and the frequency components affected are likely dependent on the material of the face mask [ 21 ]. When choosing a mask an individual may opt to choose a mask with greater protection; however these masks may be associated with greater reductions of sound transmission [ 22 ]. In environments where greater medical protection is necessary such as in a hospital setting, communicating with others may be a challenge.

The impact of facial coverings on communication may be exacerbated in certain populations, such as those susceptible to hearing loss. [ 23 ] investigated the impact of facial coverings on populations more susceptible to hearing loss such as older adults. These populations may often rely more on visual cues from the speaker to aid in their understanding of speech; therefore, communicating with someone wearing a face mask may hinder their communication [ 23 ]. [ 24 ] found that both acoustic and visual cues are fundamental in the listeners ability to recognize and perceive speech and the speaker’s content. Individuals who have hearing loss, such as older adults, may have greater difficulty understanding speech in masks which may be attributed to the degraded signal and/or loss of visual cues. Given the widespread use of face masks it is important to consider how face masks pose a potential burden to different populations.

Rationale & objectives of the current study

The rationale for the current review was to evaluate the state of the evidence regarding the impact of facial coverings on speech transmission. Our primary research questions included the following:

What is known from existing literature about the effect of face coverings on speech acoustic outcomes?
What is known from existing literature about the effect of face coverings on signal-based speech intelligibility?

While there are likely important visual effects of face coverings on a listeners’ ability to understand speech, our review focuses on signal-based outcomes to determine the impact of the coverings on the audio transmission and its impact on listeners.

This scoping review followed the framework posited by [ 25 ]. [ 25 ]’s framework includes five core stages: 1) identifying the research question, 2) identifying relevant studies, 3) study selection, 4) charting the data, and 5) summarizing the results. The authors followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines developed by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research Network [ 26 ].

Eligibility criteria

No filters were employed on the search in order to limit bias.

Information sources & search

In consultation with a librarian at the University at Buffalo, both authors iteratively developed a set of systematic search terminology. The initial search strategy was constructed with the help of the Yale Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) analyzer for use in PubMed using a combination of title/abstract and subject (MeSH) keywords. The following databases were included, with the search terminology translated for each one: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Google Scholar. The final search was executed on May 10, 2021. Entries were exported into Zotero where duplicates were removed, then exported to the Rayyan software program which was used to manage the screening. The full search strategy for all databases can be found in S1 Appendix . The search strategy approach is summarized as:

[Terms to identify acoustic and perceptual outcomes] AND
[Terms to identify relevant face coverings] AND
[Terms to identify studies related to speech and or voice]

Selection of sources of evidence

The Rayyan software program was used to manage the screening process [ 27 ]. Screening followed two phases: a title/abstract screen and a full text screen. Both phases were carried out independently by both authors in the following way. Following the formation of an initial set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, both authors screened a quasirandom subset of 30 articles in order to establish baseline reliability. Agreement at this stage was 96.7% (29/30). Authors then reviewed the articles independently, meeting after every 1000 articles in order to discuss conflicts. After the first 2000 articles, exclusion criteria were slightly modified to account for unanticipated themes, and previously screened articles were reviewed to ensure their fit in the updated criteria. For example, the exclusion of articles in which face masks were used exclusively for speech measurement (e.g., Phonatory Aerodynamic Systems) or treatment (e.g., Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) was added at this stage. The decision to exclude full helmets and full-face respirators (e.g., gas masks) was also made at this stage in order to maintain a focus on the presence of face masks like those recommended by the CDC. Conflicts were resolved through consensus discussion.

Screening and eligibility.

Articles passing both levels of screening (title/abstract and full text) met the following criteria: 1) involved the study of at least one physical facial covering, 2) provided quantitative measures of speech production or perception, 3) presented new or original data and 4) were written in English. Exclusion criteria included 1) the study of full head enclosures (e.g., helmets, full or half-face respirators), 2) patents, opinion pieces, or media reports that did not present original data, and 3) occlusions exclusively used as a treatment or measurement tool (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure devices, ventilators, or phonatory aerodynamic systems).

Data charting process

Both authors completed the data charting process by filling out a customized fillable form and spreadsheet. Information extracted from the articles included 1) article information (title, authors, year, country of research), 2) face covering information (number and type of masks studied, whether a baseline no-mask condition was included), 3) speaker participant and speech methodological design information (speech stimuli versus non-speech auditory stimuli, live speakers versus pre-recorded speech, number and demographics of speakers if applicable), 4) listener participant and perceptual methodological design information where applicable (number and demographics of listeners, whether live listeners were included, perceptual conditions), 5) perceptual and/or acoustic outcome measures, and 6) main acoustic and perceptual results.

Data extraction fields.

Charted data for all articles reporting on acoustic and/or perceptual outcomes appears in S1 Appendix . Explanations of the data extraction fields are reported below. No a-priori codes were established given the range of findings across the articles included in the final text review. Primary categories related to the types of masks, participants, audio stimuli, and experimental conditions were charted first in open-text fields. Major categorical themes were later identified and coded in additional columns which are detailed in the results fields below.

Outcome categories : Articles were coded depending on whether they included outcomes related to speech acoustics , speech perception , both acoustics and perception , or speaker classification .
Number and type of face masks
Speaker and speech source details : The number of speakers, speaker gender, and age were charted as they pertained to the study. Sound sources other than live talkers, such as head and torso simulators, were charged. Additional relevant information as it pertained to each study, such as speaker training or profession if applicable, were also included in this section.
Listener details : As with speaker details, the number of listeners, listener gender, age, as well as other pertinent details for the study such as listener training were charted as applicable. If non-human listeners were used, such as with automatic speech recognition systems, this information was included.
Speech stimuli and conditions : Details about speech stimuli, such as whether word, sentences, or non-speech audio like pure tones or noise was charted here. This section also included details of the number and type of experimental conditions including mask conditions and, as applicable, other conditions.
Details on main acoustic outcomes
Acoustic attenuation and speech intensity outcomes : This section included any outcomes related to sound attenuation, transmission loss, overall speech intensity, etc.
Other main acoustic outcomes : Details reported here included, for example, outcomes related to changes in voice-quality acoustic outcomes, segmental acoustic outcomes, etc.
Acoustic category tallies : All articles were coded as 1 or 0 with reference to whether they included outcomes related to attenuation, vocal intensity, voice quality, segmental level changes, or other acoustic results. These charting columns were added after the main data extraction had taken place and themes had been identified.
Details on main perceptual outcomes : This section included main results reported on perceptual speech outcomes.
Perceptual category tallies : All articles were coded as 1 or 0 with reference to whether they included perceptual outcomes related to visual information, noise condition comparisons, listeners with hearing loss, the use of face shields, the use of transparent masks. These charting columns were added after the main data extraction had taken place and themes had been identified.
Details on other important results not reported elsewhere : Additional results details were included here, as appropriate.

Synthesis of results

All extracted data entered via the custom form were exported into a spreadsheet for analysis. Following the data extraction procedure, the authors completed a secondary charting process to record the unique types of face masks included across all articles and the range of outcomes that were reported. Mask types were grouped into nine categories related to mask type and representation across the included articles: surgical, KN95, N95, shield, shield + mask combinations, transparent, inclusion of carbon filters, and other. For each mask category, this data synthesis, appearing in S1 Appendix , summarized the 1) minimum and maximum values of acoustic attenuation and/or 2) a summary of the whether the masks were reported to impact speech perception. These results along with descriptions of the other charted variables, are reported in the sections below.

Results and discussion

A total of 3846 records were retrieved from the database search. Following the removal of duplicates, 3479 remained for the title/abstract screen and 149 were selected for the full-text review. An additional 5 were found during the data extraction and included in the final review. In total 52 were included in the final review and relevant data were extracted. The search procedures are included in Fig 1 .

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.g001

The majority of articles included in the final review (n = 38) were published in 2020 or 2021 and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as shown in Fig 2 . Fourteen were published prior to 2020. Articles were classified into three main categories corresponding to the outcome data they reported: perceptual outcomes, acoustic outcomes, and acoustic classification.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.g002

Types of face coverings

Face coverings included a range of materials, though the majority of studies investigated one or more of the following: medical grade masks (e.g., surgical masks, N95 respirators), face shields and other types of transparent coverings, and various types of fabric coverings. A summary of the mask types used in the included articles is presented in Fig 3 and Tables 1 and 2 , including a summary of the impacts on acoustic attenuation and perceptual findings, as applicable.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.g003

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.t001

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.t002

Perceptual outcomes of masks

In total, 21 articles investigated the perceptual outcomes of face coverings. Of these, 12 reported exclusively on perceptual outcomes, including word recognition and sentence intelligibility, and 9 articles reported on both acoustic and perceptual outcomes.

While many types of face masks worn by a speaker were associated with poorer listener accuracy, this was mediated by the presence of visual information, type of material, environmental conditions (e.g., noise, reverberation), the presence of visual cues, and listener characteristics (e.g., hearing loss). Five studies investigated the presence of audio-visual cues from masks on speech perception. Three studies included listeners with hearing loss. Eight studies varied the noise level presented to listeners. Based on themes identified in the articles during the data charting process, the findings of these articles are summarized in the sections below.

Hearing status of the listener.

Two articles in this review reported on perceptual outcomes of masks for individuals with hearing loss [ 31 , 32 ]. Overall, results indicate that certain face masks result in greater relative difficulties for those with severe-to-profound hearing loss, though the presence of visual cues aided in speech perception accuracy. [ 31 ] reported that the presence of visual cues of the talker afforded by transparent masks to benefit the speech perception abilities of listeners with severe-to-profound hearing loss. This study included ten normal hearing listeners, ten with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, and ten with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Five in the severe-to-profound group used cochlear implants either in combination with hearing aids (n = 3) or alone (n = 2). The authors tested the listeners’ speech perception without a mask, with a transparent mask, and with a paper mask, in auditory only and auditory-visual conditions. All speech perception testing was done in 10 dB multi-talker babble and presented at 65 dB HL. The authors found that the presence of visual information was of greater relative benefit to participants with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Listeners with moderate loss performed similarly to those without hearing loss; neither paper nor transparent face masks resulted in significantly worse performance. The severe-to-profound group, on the other hand, benefitted from being able to see the talker’s mouth through the transparent mask.

[ 32 ] reported on the speech recognition of 23 cochlear implant users when the talker wore an N95, N95 plus shield, or no mask. Speech recognition was measured as percent words correctly repeated from a standardized sentence list (AzBio) tested in quiet listening conditions at 60 dB SPL. Compared to when the talker wore no mask, listeners were significantly less accurate when the talker wore an N95 mask plus a face shield. The N95 by itself was not significantly worse than baseline. The authors found a correlation between accuracy in the N95 plus shield condition and word recognition in a baseline clinical testing procedure (without a mask). This finding suggests that individuals with lower baseline clinical speech recognition results also struggled more to understand the talker with the N95 and shield.

Auditory-only versus auditory-visual impacts.

A subset of studies compared the effect of including or excluding visual information on auditory perception of talkers wearing masks. Overall, the outcomes of these studies support the additional influence of visual cues on auditory-perception of speech when masks are worn [ 24 , 31 , 33 – 35 ]. Of these, one study included audio recorded without a mask, but included audio-visual scenes in which the talker did or did not wear a mask [ 33 ]. In this study, which simulated a video-conference call, listener participants were more accurate in word identification, more confident, and perceived less listener effort when they could see the talkers’ mouths than when they heard the same audio but saw the talker wearing a surgical mask [ 33 ]. These results suggest the role of visual feedback as distinct from acoustic filtration of masks.

The remaining studies comparing audio only and audio-visual conditions included audio recorded when the talkers actually were or were not wearing masks, and presented this audio to listeners with and without accompanying video [ 24 , 31 , 34 ]. These combined results demonstrated that listeners were less accurate in consonant identification in audio-only conditions compared to audio-visual conditions in which talkers’ mouths and/or faces were covered [ 24 , 31 , 34 ]. This suggests that acoustically driven challenges in understanding speech with masks may be somewhat alleviated when the talker is seen, even if the mouth is covered. [ 24 ] studied audio-only and audio-visual consonant recognition for talkers donning eight distinct types of face concealment. The authors found that, overall, consonant identification accuracy in audio-visual conditions exceeded the audio-only condition, especially in the presence of background noise, and that this effect was stronger for some types of coverings over others. [ 34 ] found that while listener accuracy was lower in the audio-visual condition for three types of face coverings (niqab, surgical mask, balaclava), the overall number of consonant misperceptions was very small (2%). These confusions were driven by relatively few error types. The most prominent error types included confusion of stops with fricatives (/t/ ~ /θ/), stop voicing, and place of articulation for stops, fricatives, and nasals. Conversely, [ 31 ] found that listeners with typical hearing performed at ceiling regardless of whether the speaker did or did not wear an opaque, paper mask, and access to visual information in the no-mask condition did not alter this. Listeners with hearing loss, however, did perform better in conditions when they could see the speaker’s mouth. [ 36 ] did not compare with an auditory-visual condition, but reported lowest listener accuracy when speakers wore N95 masks compared to cloth or surgical masks. Surgical and cloth masks also led to degraded accuracy compared to no mask, but incorrect responses were often phonetic approximations, while N95s included a greater relative number of non-responses overall [ 36 ].

This last study [ 31 ] was one of two that investigated the audio-visual effects of transparent masks on speech perception and included listeners with and without hearing loss [ 31 , 35 ]. Combined, findings suggest that when the talker is visible, transparent masks which allow the mouth to be seen are associated with increased listener accuracy, but when the talker is not visible, transparent masks are associated with decreased accuracy [ 31 , 35 ]. Additionally, [ 35 ] found listeners reported higher confidence and lower concentration required to understand sentences spoken with a transparent mask compared to an opaque mask when the talker was visible. [ 31 ] found that visual cues from transparent masks aided individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss but not those with normal hearing. In particular, listeners with moderate hearing loss performed better when the speaker wore a transparent mask than when they wore an opaque, paper mask, despite of the increased acoustic attenuation found associated with the transparent mask. This finding highlights the potential importance of visual cues especially for those with hearing loss.

Relatedly, six studies examined the effect of layering a face shield over a mask on speech perception in an auditory-only context [ 32 , 37 – 41 ]. In all cases, layering a face shield on top of a mask was associated with reduced intelligibility. These findings suggest the addition of a face shield disrupts acoustic transmission of the speech signal resulting in poorer listener accuracy. The increased perceptual difficulties in auditory-only scenarios when a transparent mask or shield is used are likely related to increased acoustic attenuation and/or distortion from the rigid materials [ 42 ].

Varying levels of noise.

Eight studies explored the effects of different noise levels on intelligibility of speech in masks [ 24 , 34 , 37 , 40 , 43 – 46 ]. Overall, results suggest intelligibility deficits of masks are worse in the presence of higher noise levels or in environments with greater reverberation. Strategies for improving speech intelligibility in masks included speaking more loudly [ 40 ] or more clearly [ 47 ] or using amplification such as an in-ear listening device [ 48 ] or a microphone [ 41 ].

Minimal impact.

Although a common trend across all articles was that wearing a mask was typically associated with poorer speech intelligibility compared to not wearing a mask, this was not the case across the board. Six articles reported minimal to no effects of masks on speech perception, most often for surgical masks [ 32 , 34 , 38 , 43 , 44 , 47 ]. [ 44 ] found no difference in intelligibility of speech produced with a surgical mask compared to without, regardless of the presence or absence of background noise. [ 32 ] found no differences in listener accuracy (evaluated in quiet) when talkers donned an N95 mask compared to without, but did find lower accuracy when the N95 mask was layered with a face shield. Similarly, [ 38 ] reported descriptive statistics on preliminary data suggesting that decreases in accuracy (in the presence of multitalker background noise) were observed when talkers wore face masks and further when layering with a face shield, they noted that the relatively modest changes would likely not yield statistically meaningful differences. The authors noted a ceiling effect for the unmasked condition, indicating that the listening conditions may not have been challenging enough. [ 34 ] found that speech with surgical masks, compared to niqabs and balaclavas, were the easiest to understand and were also associated with less acoustic transmission loss. The perceptual task was completed in quiet listening conditions. While [ 43 ] found that listening effort did not differ significantly as a function of mask type, the authors reported that surgical masks had lowest probability of experiencing greater listening effort followed by fabric and the greatest listening effort was for N95s. The authors found this pattern consistent in two acoustic room simulations designed to replicate both low and high reverberation conditions, consistent with easier and harder listening conditions. [ 47 ] found no effect of a fabric face mask conditions when talkers spoke in a habitual speech style (in -6 dB SNR of multitalker babble), but speech produced with a mask was more intelligible than without a mask when talkers were instructed to speak clearly. The authors attributed this to a targeted adaptation approach in which talkers overcompensated for the mask when adapting a clear speech style for listener comprehension.

While not consistently controlled across all studies, the degree of additional listening challenges, such as the presence of background noise or hearing loss, appears to be a likely contributing factor. More challenging listening conditions may be more sensitive to subtle perceptual differences with masks. On the other hand, masks, and in particular surgical masks, may not pose significant listening barriers in more favorable listening conditions and/or for listeners who have typical hearing thresholds.

Acoustic outcomes

Of the 52 total included articles, 28 investigated the effect of face coverings on speech acoustic outcomes, which in most cases characterized the degree of attenuation of the speech signal. Other acoustic outcomes included overall speech intensity (n = 4), voice quality-related acoustic measures (n = 5), and segmental speech acoustics, such as properties of vowel and fricative productions (n = 5). Key differences in methodological approaches of note were whether the sound source included a live human talker, pre-recorded human talker, or non-speech sound, such as frequency sweeps. The following sections include mention of the range of acoustic characteristics reported in the included articles; the intention of this is to provide an overview rather than a consensus, and the reader is cautioned to recall the extensive methodological variability in the acoustic results presented below. The distribution of articles reporting on acoustic outcomes is shown in Fig 4 .

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.g004

Acoustic attenuation.

In total, 21 articles reported on acoustic attenuation imposed by face coverings. Overall, most articles reporting on acoustic attenuation provided evidence that masks act as a low pass filter by dampening the amplitude of frequency components above 1 to 2 kHz. The range of attenuated frequencies and the degree to which masks dampened sound varied across mask types. A summary of the range of acoustic attenuation findings for each mask type is included in Table 1 . Studies that compared multiple masks were consistent in reporting that surgical masks demonstrated the least amount of attenuation overall [ 21 , 29 , 30 , 36 , 42 , 49 , 50 ]. Attenuation imposed by surgical masks ranged from 0–2 dB in mean spectral amplitude between 1–8 kHz [ 30 , 51 ] to 14 dB at 4.5 kHz [ 52 ]. The greatest attenuation was observed for transparent masks and face shields, ranging from ~3 dB [ 51 ] to up to 29.2 dB [ 29 ]. Mask material and weave were reported to be the most important variables when considering the degree of attenuation [ 21 ]. Surgical masks, some fabric masks, and KN95 masks demonstrated peak attenuation at approximately 4 dB [ 21 , 36 , 53 ], while N95 respirators peaked at approximately 6–10 dB [ 21 , 36 , 53 ]. One study reported two apparent peaks for an N95 worn by a live talker at approximately 10 dB; one at 800 Hz and another at 2–3 kHz [ 36 ]. [ 54 ] recorded white noise produced via a mannequin loudspeaker positioned six feet from a microphone in four mask and four mask plus face shield conditions. They reported preliminary data, identifying reductions in maximum sound pressure level across a spectral range of 0 to 8kHz. Reductions ranged from 5 dB SPL (surgical mask only) to 29.2 dB SPL (KN95 mask plus face shield and transparent mask plus face shield). [ 42 ] expanded on the preliminary findings from [ 54 ], including 15 mask conditions (grouped by non-transparent and transparent types) recorded at a 3 foot and 6 foot distance. They found minimal attenuation below 1kHz, and a wide variation of reductions in the 2–8 kHz frequency range, and greater attenuation at the farther distance. Between 2 and 8 kHz, compared to no mask, surgical masks were associated with the least attenuation (~4 dB RMS at both 3 and 6-foot distances), and the Humanity Shield transparent mask was associated with the greatest attenuation (~17 dB RMS at both distances). Adding a face shield resulted in an additional 10 to 16 dB RMS attenuation, resulting in a total attenuation of 18 to 25 dB RMS. [ 44 ] reported on attenuation from one talker producing sentences with and without a standard surgical mask at a 1-foot distance under controlled speaking conditions (i.e., intentionally maintaining a steady duration and intensity). The authors found a small but significant difference in average RMS power across the speech spectra, suggesting that the talkers speech was actually less attenuated with the mask on, on the order of 0.21 dB SPL.

Two articles reported on spectral slope or tilt, which may be considered an indirect measures of attenuation as it captures the difference in low and high energy bands. [ 30 ] found no changes in spectral slopes (comparing 0–1 kHz to 1–8 kHz bands) in sustained vowels, but found higher relative low energy values in the surgical and KN95 masks, consistent with previous accounts of low-pass filtering. [ 55 ] reported an impact of surgical masks and N95 masks but not fabric masks on spectral tilt. These differences were observed when measured via a headset and tabletop microphone.

Other acoustic consequences of face coverings.

Overall vocal intensity-related outcomes . While higher frequency components of the signal were found to be attenuated by most masks, overall changes in vocal intensity (i.e., the overall acoustic energy in the speech signal) were not consistently found. This finding is not unexpected, given the low-pass filtering effect of face masks and that most energy in speech is concentrated in lower-frequency ranges. Speakers could, however, alter their own behavior when wearing masks, such as by increasing vocal effort, which could lead to increased speech intensity. Of the studies reporting acoustic outcomes, four reported on overall speech intensity [ 30 , 55 – 57 ].

Of these, one controlled for behavioral adjustments in response to mask wearing by taking acoustic measurements from prerecorded samples. [ 56 ] presented prerecorded speech samples from a customized head and torso simulator loudspeaker with a mouth-to-microphone distance of 8 cm. The authors compared three mask types (surgical mask, FFP2, and transparent mask) and found that while the surgical mask was not associated with differences in speech intensity (extracted from a sustained vowel), the FFP2 and transparent masks did result in speech signals that were approximately 1.5 dB SPL lower compared to no mask. Two studies reported no significant differences in vocal intensity for any of the face masks studied, including surgical masks, KN95 masks, N95 masks, and cloth masks [ 55 , 57 ]. Stimuli from these studies included sustained vowel production and/or connected speech tasks produced by live talkers. While [ 57 ] found no group differences in intensity, they reported that the majority (65% of 60 subjects) produced decreased speech intensity from sustained vowels on the order of 1 to 2 dB with the surgical mask on, while 35% produced an increased intensity. This suggests individual differences in behavioral responses to wearing masks.

While not included in the counts above, two studies reported opposing findings on changes in speech intensity featuring a very small number of trained talkers (one or two) whose speech was used for perceptual testing [ 40 , 47 ]. [ 40 ] measured the speech-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single trained researcher reading test sentence material in varying noise levels with and without wearing a face covering. In this study, the face covering was a fit-tested FFP3 mask plus a visor, which was included as part of standard hospital PPE. In low levels of background noise (i.e., 45 dB, simulating standard office noise), the talker increased their SNR by ~2 dB more when wearing PPE than without it. This trend generally persisted as noise levels increased, with the exception of the highest noise levels (70 dB, simulating a surgical operating theatre), at which point SNR with and without the face coverings were approximately the same. The authors did not report any statistical findings for this outcome. [ 47 ] reported on speech produced by two talkers producing sentences in three different styles (habitual, emotional, and clear) with and without a fabric mask. While speech intensity was predictably altered across speech styles, the authors found no obvious differences in speech intensity across the mask conditions. It should be noted that acoustic outcomes in [ 47 ], including speech intensity, were reported as summary statistics and were not a primary outcome. This study was included in this section, however, to provide a holistic picture of the effects of masks on speech intensity reported so far in the literature.

Overall, these findings suggest that while vocal intensity differences may exist for heavier, thicker mask materials, these differences are small and inconsistent, and may sometimes be attributable to behavioral adjustments to masks. For example, talkers may alter their own speech in response to wearing a mask, which could result in increased intensity. These individual differences could explain the conflicting pattern of results in [ 56 ]. Additional claims related to behavioral differences would likely require more studies with a larger number of talkers in order to draw valid generalizations.

Voice-quality related acoustic outcomes . Five articles reported on voice and voice-quality-related characteristics, suggesting inconsistent patterns regarding the impact of masks. Four of these reported on live talkers [ 30 , 55 , 57 , 58 ] and one reported on pre-recorded speech samples [ 56 ]. Overall, face masks (including surgical masks, FFP2 masks, and transparent masks) were not found to impact fundamental frequency [ 55 – 58 ].

The impact of masks on voice quality characteristics such as harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) and cepstral peak prominence smoothed (CPPS) varied substantially across the five studies. Three of the five articles found no differences in HNR or CPPS in unmasked versus surgical mask conditions in live talkers [ 55 – 58 ]. [ 56 ], reporting on prerecorded sustained vowels, found that while surgical and FFP2 masks were not associated with significant differences in HNR compared to no mask, transparent masks were. All three mask types were associated with decreases in CPPS. [ 30 ] found that wearing either a surgical or KN95 mask was associated with an increase in HNR in live talkers producing a sustained /a/ vowel, but neither mask was associated with a change in CPPS (measured in vowel production, sentence reading, and passage reading). The authors suggested these results may be due to talkers subconsciously adopting their phonation style when wearing a mask.

Few differences were reported in jitter and shimmer. Specifically, surgical masks and FFP2 masks were not found to be associated with changes to jitter or shimmer [ 55 – 58 ], while transparent masks were associated with an increase in shimmer but no change in jitter [ 56 ]. [ 56 ] also reported an increase in AVQI during pre-recorded read sentences across all mask conditions they included (surgical, FFP2, transparent). [ 55 ] reported no change in jitter and shimmer for N95, cloth, nor surgical masks.

Segmental acoustic outcomes . Five articles reported on segmental acoustic outcomes. Of these, four reported on the speech of live talkers [ 59 – 62 ] and one reported on pre-recorded speech samples [ 56 ]. Two articles reported on the effects of face coverings on vowel formant measures [ 56 , 61 ], and three reported on fricative characteristics [ 59 , 60 , 62 ].

[ 56 ] reported on first and second formants and formant bandwidths of sustained /a/ vowels in prerecorded speech played via a mannequin loudspeaker wearing three different masks. An increase in first formant frequencies was found for a transparent mask (113 Hz), while no differences were found for surgical or FFP2 masks. There were no differences in first formant bandwidths for any of the masks. A decrease in second formant frequencies was found for both the FFP2 (56 Hz) and transparent mask (113 Hz), but not the surgical mask, and differences in second formant bandwidth was found for the transparent mask only. Findings suggest that transparent masks may amplify low frequency characteristics, while masks made of thicker or harder materials may dampen higher frequency characteristics. [ 61 ] reported on ten talkers’ production of central vowels in Pahari in three face cover conditions: niqab, helmet, and mask (not specified). The authors reported on effects, but not effect directions for F1, F2, and duration of two central vowels. The authors reported an effect of all three face coverings on first and second formants of /ə/ but not /a:/, and inconsistent effects on vowel durations. The authors did not report the direction of effects on these outcomes, thus it is not possible to draw conclusions from this study on the precise nature of the impact of face coverings on vowel production.

The three articles reporting on fricative characteristics measured the impact of face coverings that are often used in order to conceal the face (including, for example, helmets, balaclavas, and party masks in addition to surgical masks). Overall, findings suggest that face coverings of these sorts are associated with lower spectral center of gravity, and inconsistent changes in fricative intensity and skewness and kurtosis (58, 59, 61). Findings overall suggested greater sound absorption for rubber masks, helmets, and tape covering the mouth compared to surgical masks and cloth coverings (hoodies, balaclavas, and niqabs), leading to a shift in spectral characteristics of fricatives. These spectral changes may have implications for consonant identification. It is worth noting that [ 34 ], who is not included in the counts here, also made qualitative statements about acoustic characteristics of consonants produced with niqabs, balaclavas, and surgical masks in order to speculate about reasons for listener consonant misidentification.

Other acoustic outcomes . Additional acoustic outcomes not reported above were investigated in three articles. These included temporal speech pause characteristics [ 55 ] and the acoustic Speech Transmission Index [ 22 , 63 ]. While mean pause length and variability of pause length did not differ in surgical, N95, and cloth masks compared to baseline, N95s and cloth masks were associated with a higher percentage of pauses.

Two articles reported on the STI [ 22 , 63 ]. The STI is a predictive measure of speech intelligibility that is calculated based on acoustic signal-to-noise ratios in the presence of pink ambient noise. Findings support previous conclusions of the relatively minimal effect of surgical masks, which were found to yield the smallest relative effect on the STI outcomes [ 22 , 63 ]. [ 22 ] measured the effects of 11 face coverings on sound propagation in high and low reverberant classroom settings using a logarithmic sine sweep emitted from a loudspeaker. Outcomes included including reverberation time, acoustic clarity, and the STI. The authors found that most face masks studied impacted sound propagation, and these differences were increased in rooms with greater reverberation and for male talkers. Surgical masks were least impactful overall. In contrast to previously reported findings of the increased attenuation imposed by transparent masks [ 21 , 31 , 32 , 35 , 42 ], [ 22 ] found that masks with transparent windows did not significantly impact speech transmission, though face shields had the effect of splitting sound propagation directivity in two (above and below the shield). [ 63 ] investigated the effect of multiple models of three types of face coverings on the STI (surgical masks, N95 masks, and air-purifying respirators; note that air-purifying respirators were excluded from this review and are therefore not discussed in this section). Surgical masks were associated with the least impact on the STI, followed by the N95 and then by the air-purifying respirators. Specifically, the surgical masks deviated from the no-mask condition by 3–4%, while the N95 masks deviated by 13–17%. Additionally, [ 47 ] reported summary statistics of six acoustic measures produced by two talkers with and without a fabric mask across three speech styles. This article is not included in the counts here because they did not include these measures as primary outcomes. The authors reported that no obvious differences in the mask conditions were observed for any of the measures, which included speech intensity (discussed in the previous section), speech rate, mean f0 and f0 variation, and vowel dispersion.

Acoustic classification of masks

In total, 13 articles were categorized as reporting outcomes related to acoustic classification of face masks, in which the aim of the authors was to identify whether a speaker was wearing a face mask from a set of acoustic features or algorithms. Of these, seven articles were published in the Proceedings of Interspeech 2020 as a part of the Computational Paralinguistics Mask Sub-Challenge [ 64 – 70 ]. The goal of this challenge was for authors to identify whether a speaker was wearing a surgical mask or not, by using machine learning techniques to identify acoustic features from audio recordings from the Mask Augsburg Speech Corpus (MASC) [ 71 ]. The MASC includes recordings of 32 speakers of German engaging in a variety of speech tasks with and without a surgical mask. Speech tasks included passage reading, question responses, reading and repeating words, and spontaneous picture descriptions. Of these, [ 67 ] was awarded as the challenge winner for achieving the highest accuracy (80.1% “Unweighted Average Recall”) using spectrogram image classification techniques. A summary of techniques used in this challenge are reported in [ 72 ].

Of the remaining six articles, three also reported on acoustic classification of the MASC data, but were published in conference proceedings other than Interspeech 2020 [ 73 – 75 ]. One article, published in Interspeech in 2015, reported on a corpus of 8 talkers engaging in sentence reading and spontaneous picture description tasks while wearing one of four types of face coverings: motorcycle helmet, rubber mask, hood and scarf, and a surgical mask [ 76 ]. Unlike the other classification articles in this category, the aim of this study was to identify whether an automatic speech recognition system could correctly identify individual talkers across the different face covering conditions.

An in depth summary of the outcomes across these investigations into machine learning algorithms aimed at the identification and prediction of the presence of face coverings is beyond the scope of the present review. Findings suggest, however, that the use and refinement of such algorithms may aid in future descriptions of the acoustic impacts of masks and the ability to monitor the speech of talkers while wearing masks. For a more in depth summary of issues of classification of masks, specifically in the context of the Interspeech 2020 ComParE Mask Sub-Challenge, readers are directed to [ 72 ].

Study limitations

This scoping review provides, to the authors’ knowledge, the most comprehensive review of the effects of face masks on spoken communication. This review captures the state of the evidence in mid-2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the dynamic, evolving nature of this topic, future reviews are warranted to continue to characterize what is known about the effects of face masks and other forms of personal protective equipment on speech, as well as to identify ongoing gaps. This review sought to characterize the effects of masks recommended for public use by the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this review excluded certain types of face coverings such as commercial, non-disposable respirators. For a review of the effects of respirators on speech intelligibility, the reader is directed to [ 5 ]. Given the rapid rise in interest in this topic, the authors chose not to restrict the review to exclusively peer-reviewed academic journals; white papers, magazine editorials, and proceedings papers have been included. Furthermore, as a part of the scoping review approach, no attempts were made to evaluate the quality of the articles included in the review. As such, some of the conclusions of the studies included may report on preliminary data or experimental designs in less rigorous settings. Similarly, further analysis and synthesis of methodological differences across studies would be warranted in future reviews. For example, the differences across studies that use live talkers versus mannequins, quiet or noisy listening conditions, and the range of recording equipment used would likely provide help to further identify the nature of the effects of face masks and, importantly, methods for remediation. The full results of the data extraction, including citations and specific methodological details of interest are included in the Supplemental Materials to aid the reader in drawing their own conclusions. Another limitation is related to the timely nature of the topic. At the time of writing, a secondary search revealed several new potentially relevant articles. An update to the present review will be warranted, as new research related to the effects of face masks is a topic that is only continuing to grow. The purpose of the current review was to evaluate the state of the evidence at the current point in time.

Clinical and research implications

Overall, the evidence collected in this review suggest that face masks have been consistently shown to dampen higher frequency information of the speech signal. The effect of face masks on speech perception is less consistent, but studies overall point to a detrimental effect that is worsened by factors such as increased noise and the absence of visual cues. Surgical masks appear to have the least impact on acoustic attenuation and perceptual outcomes. Most soft masks, such as disposable medical grade masks and fabric masks, dampen the acoustic signal to a lesser degree than transparent masks [ 22 ]. The thickness and weave of the face covering material appears to play a role in the acoustic impact of the masks [ 21 ], while rigid materials such as those used in transparent masks and face shields lead to even greater degrees of attenuation. Transparent masks and especially face shields with visors, though, may also amplify certain higher resonant frequencies and lead to changes in the direction of acoustic transmission [ 22 , 54 ]. From an auditory perspective, greater dampening appears to be associated with worse speech perception, but the presence of visual cues afforded by clear masks alleviates this effect in some circumstances. Areas of future research would benefit from identifying strategies that aid in overcoming the perceptual challenges of masks, including more behavioral modifications, such as clear speech [ 47 ] or loud speech [ 40 ] and the use of amplification [ 48 , 41 ].

A noticeable gap in the literature was related to representative sample populations that would carry clinical implications for the field of speech-language pathology and audiology. While a small number of studies (n = 2) examined the effects of masks on listeners with hearing loss, none reported on other clinical populations such as those with speech or voice disorders. Given the continued prevalence of mask use and the documented acoustic impact of masks, this is an area that should be addressed in the future.

Summary and conclusion

This scoping review evaluated the state of the evidence regarding the impact of facial coverings on speech transmission at an acoustic and perceptual level. Fifty-two articles were included in the final review, encompassing a wide range of methodologies. Results suggest that face masks consistently are reported to attenuate higher frequency spectral information in the speech signal above 1 to 2 kHz, though this range was found to vary by mask type. Across articles included in this review, face masks are less consistently reported to impact other acoustic features of speech including vocal intensity, voice-quality related measures, and acoustic-phonetic aspects of speech production. While a common trend among the articles reporting on listener perceptual consequences of talkers wearing face masks suggested poorer overall speech intelligibility. However, the presence and magnitude of this effect varied widely and was subject to changes in background noise levels and listener characteristics. Areas of future work should include a wider range of talker characteristics.

Supporting information

S1 appendix. full search terminology for scoping review..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.s001

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285009.s002

View Article
PubMed/NCBI
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68. Markitantov M, Dresvyanskiy D, Mamontov D, Kaya H, Minker W, Karpov A. Ensembling End-to-End Deep Models for Computational Paralinguistics Tasks: ComParE 2020 Mask and Breathing Sub-Challenges. In:. Interspeech 2020, ISCA; 2020, pp. 2072–6. https://doi.org/10.21437/Interspeech.2020-2666 .
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73. Das RK, Li H. Classification of speech with and without face mask using acoustic features. In:. 2020 Asia-Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association Annual Summit and Conference (APSIPA ASC), Aukland, New Zealand, 2020, pp. 747–52.
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75. Xu X, Deng J, Zhang Z, Wu C, Schuller B. Identifying surgical-mask speech using deep neural networks on low-level aggregation. In: Proceedings of the 36th Annual ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, 2021, pp. 580–585. https://doi.org/10.1145/3412841.3441938
76. Saeidi R, Niemi T, Karppelin H, Pohjalainen J, Kinnunen T, Alku P. Speaker recognition for speech under face cover. In: Interspeech 2015. ISCA; 2015. pp.1012–6. https://doi.org/10.21437/Interspeech.2015-275

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How to communicate effectively while wearing a mask

For many people who have difficulty hearing, the past year has presented additional communication challenges as wearing masks has become common practice while in public. Our audiologists have put together this handout to help educate on how we can all be more effective communicators while masked.

How do face masks affect communication?

Face masks lower the volume of speech. Research shows that cloth and surgical masks reduce the clarity of speech and lower it by about 5 decibels (dB). This effect isstronger when a person is wearing an N95 medical mask, which can lower speech by about 12 dB.
Face masks can lower the clarity of speech, causing works to sound "garbled." It may be harder for a person to hear consonant sounds like "f," "s," "sh" and "th."
Face masks remove lip reading clues and other facial expressions that are typically helpful for people with hearing loss.
Face masks may make wearing behind-the-ear haring aids uncomfortable.
Face shields, social distancing and plastic barriers further muffle or reduce sound.

6 tips for communicating while wearing a mask

1. Reduce any background noise in the room. Talk a bit louder than you normally would so your voice carries through the mask, but do not shout.
2. Speak slowly and clearly. Use greater enunciation when speaking. Speaking slowly makes it easier for the person you're communicating with to process what you're saying and gives them a chance to ask for clarification.
3. Pause often to make sure you are being understood. Try to rephrase what you said using different words for clarification or write down the important points.
4. Use your hands and body language while you talk. Nod your head and use your eyebrows to communicate. This can help overcome the limitations of not seeing facial expressions clearly. Consider using a portable hearing aid amplifier.
6. If obtainable, clear or transparent masks can help with lip reading or conveying facial expressions.
5. Speak directly at the other person; do not talk while walking or looking away.

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National Safety Day Speech

National Safety Day is an annual event observed in India on March 4. It is an initiative by the National Safety Council of India (NSCI) to raise awareness about safety measures and promote a safety culture across various sectors. The day aims to educate people about the importance of safety in their daily lives, including at home, workplace, and while travelling.

10 Lines Speech on National Safety Day

Short speech on national safety day, long speech on national safety day.

National Safety Day is celebrated every year in India on March 4.

It is an initiative by the National Safety Council of India to promote safety awareness.

The theme of National Safety Day changes every year to highlight different aspects of safety.

The day aims to raise awareness about the importance of safety measures in various sectors.

It emphasises the need for individuals to take responsibility for their safety and that of others.

National Safety Day promotes the adoption of a safety culture in all aspects of life.

The day includes various activities such as safety training, seminars, and awareness campaigns.

The National Safety Council of India recognises organisations for their commitment to safety on this day.

National Safety Day serves as a reminder to review safety policies and make necessary changes.

The ultimate goal of National Safety Day is to prevent accidents and promote a safe and secure environment.

Today we gather here to celebrate National Safety Day. Safety is an important aspect of our lives, and it is crucial that we take it seriously. Safety measures are not just a matter of following rules and regulations but also about adopting a safety culture as a way of life.

We often take safety for granted, but it is important to remember that safety is everyone's responsibility. We all have a role to play in ensuring our safety and that of those around us. This means following safety guidelines, wearing safety gear, and reporting safety hazards. We should not overlook safety in our day-to-day activities, whether it is at home, work, or while travelling.

It is also important to remember that safety is not just about following rules but also about creating a safety culture. We must create a culture of safety where safety is not just a matter of compliance but a way of life. This means promoting safety awareness, conducting safety audits, and training employees on safety measures.

On this National Safety Day, let us pledge to make safety a priority in our lives. Let us take responsibility for our safety and that of those around us. By doing so, we can ensure that we live in a safe and secure world.

National Safety Day is observed in India on March 4 every year. It is a day to raise awareness about the importance of safety at workplaces and in our daily lives. The day focuses on promoting safety measures and preventing accidents. Every year, a theme is chosen for National Safety Day to highlight a particular area of safety concern.

Importance of National Safety Day

National Safety Day is an important day because it reminds us that safety is a priority. It is a day to raise awareness about the need to prevent accidents and promote safety at workplaces and in our daily lives. The day highlights the importance of following safety rules and regulations and taking necessary precautions to avoid accidents. By promoting safety measures, we can create a safer environment for ourselves and those around us.

How to Promote Safety as a Priority

Promoting safety as a priority begins with awareness. We must be aware of the potential hazards in our daily lives and work environment. This means identifying potential risks and taking the necessary precautions to prevent accidents from happening.

In the workplace, employers can promote safety by providing regular training to employees. This training should cover safety measures and procedures, emergency response plans, and the proper use of equipment and machinery. Employers should also conduct regular safety audits to identify potential hazards and ensure that safety measures are being followed.

As individuals, we can promote safety by following safety rules and regulations. This includes wearing personal protective equipment when necessary, following traffic rules and regulations, and taking necessary precautions when working at heights or in hazardous environments.

Celebration In Schools

Schools celebrate National Safety Day by organising various activities and events to promote safety awareness among students. Here are some ways schools can celebrate National Safety Day:

Conduct safety drills: Schools can conduct safety drills such as fire drills, earthquake drills, and evacuation drills to educate students on safety measures.

Organise safety awareness programs: Schools can organise safety awareness programs such as seminars, workshops, and talks by safety experts to educate students about safety measures.

Display safety posters: Schools can display safety posters in classrooms and corridors to remind students of safety measures and precautions.

Conduct safety inspections: Schools can conduct safety inspections to identify safety hazards and take corrective actions to ensure a safe learning environment.

Conduct safety quizzes and competitions: Schools can conduct safety quizzes and competitions to engage students in safety awareness and promote healthy competition.

Promote safety through curriculum: Schools can include safety topics in their curriculum to educate students about safety measures and precautions.

Distribute safety pamphlets: Schools can distribute safety pamphlets to students and parents to create awareness about safety measures at home and school.

Schools can use National Safety Day as an opportunity to promote safety awareness and create a culture of safety among students. The ultimate goal of National Safety Day is to prevent accidents and promote a safe and secure environment. It aims to instil a sense of responsibility towards safety in individuals and organisations and promote a culture of safety across the country.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

Construction
Entertainment
Manufacturing
Information Technology

Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary.

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi .

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive.

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues.

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems.

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software.

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description: A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials.

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs.

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story.

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems.

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process.

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What We Know About the Protests at Columbia University

After nearly two weeks of protests, demonstrators seized Hamilton Hall early Tuesday.

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Tents are set up on campus at night, with Palestinian flags and students walking around.

By Alan Blinder

Columbia University is grappling with the fallout from its president’s promise to Congress that she would crack down on unsanctioned protests, and her decision to ask the police to clear an encampment on campus, resulting in the arrests of more than 100 students earlier this month.

Protests on campus have endured and escalated, with demonstrators seizing Hamilton Hall early Tuesday. The university, which had already limited access to its campus in Upper Manhattan, said Tuesday that it would allow only students who live in one of seven dorms on campus or employees who provide essential services through its gates.

Protesters occupied

Hamilton Hall early

Tuesday morning

West 114th St.

Tent encampment at

Columbia University

Faculty and staff

members guarding

access to the tents

Amsterdam Ave.

Source: Google Earth

Note: Photograph taken Monday, April 29

By Leanne Abraham; Photograph by Bing Guan

A fraught round of protests has rocked the university for nearly two weeks, with demonstrators building (and rebuilding) an encampment, recriminations over the summoning of the police to campus on April 18, and accusations that Columbia has effectively allowed protesters, in some instances, to celebrate Hamas and target Jewish students for intimidation.

Last week, the university started offering hybrid classes, an acknowledgment that the disputes at the center of campus tension were unlikely to be resolved before the end of the school year. Commencement is scheduled for May 15.

On Friday, university leaders signaled that they were not eager to call in the police again.

“We called on N.Y.P.D. to clear an encampment once, but we all share the view, based on discussions within our community and with outside experts, that to bring back the N.Y.P.D. at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” Columbia leaders, including President Nemat Shafik, wrote. “Having said that, we also need to continue to enforce our own rules and ensure that those who violate the norms of our community face consequences.”

Columbia said Monday evening that it had started to suspend students who remained in the encampment, after they effectively declined an offer from the university to limit discipline. The Hamilton Hall occupation began hours later.

The protesters’ demands include that Columbia divest from companies that do business with Israel.

How Columbia got here

Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, American college campuses have been hubs of protest and debate. The scene at Columbia has been particularly contentious, with protests drawing hundreds of demonstrators, and some faculty members drawing attention for statements that critics considered to be antisemitic.

Columbia administrators, like their counterparts on campuses across the country, have struggled to fine-tune a response that balances discipline, free speech and institutional and national politics. For example, Columbia suspended two pro-Palestinian student groups after a walkout, and it has rewritten its protest policies, suspended some students and moved to cut or reduce ties to some faculty members.

The university’s approach was the focus of a congressional committee hearing on April 17. Over more than three hours in Washington, Dr. Shafik and other Columbia leaders tried to placate Republican lawmakers by acknowledging that they had been unprepared for the tensions of recent months and promising new crackdowns.

Although their answers appeared to please many lawmakers on Capitol Hill, they stirred unrest on campus, where protesters had built an encampment in the hours before Dr. Shafik’s testimony.

Columbia called in the police

Less than 24 hours after the hearing adjourned, New York City police officers in riot gear entered the private campus at the request of Dr. Shafik and Columbia leaders. The police swept into the encampment to arrest defiant protesters and dismantle the demonstration, which was calling for the university to eliminate its financial ties to Israel. The authorities reported more than 100 arrests .

Many people welcomed the decision to call in the police, and said that Dr. Shafik was well within her power to shut down unauthorized protests on private property. But the decision also provoked fresh outcry from students, faculty members, free-speech groups and critics of Israel, who argued that it was counterproductive to shut down a peaceful protest, particularly on a campus that is supposed to be a marketplace of ideas.

By the time many of the critiques rolled in, protesters had already started gathering again, chanting some of the same slogans — “We don’t want no Zionists here” and “Israel is a racist state” — that Dr. Shafik had suggested were creating “a harassing and intimidating environment for many of our students.”

Protesters pitched tents again, and the administration declined to summon the police again. Instead, it sought to negotiate with protesters, to seemingly limited effect.

But Columbia is facing pressure from some students, donors and elected officials, who want to see a more forceful response to the demonstrations. Speaker Mike Johnson, during a visit to Columbia last week, floated bringing in the National Guard — a notion that Columbia denied was under discussion.

Some protests unnerved Jewish students

Columbia cannot control what happens off its property, and the neighborhood around its campus has drawn significant attention in the aftermath of the arrests, with some reports of antisemitic harassment.

“Go back to Poland!” one masked protester who clutched a Palestinian flag shouted outside the Columbia campus gates, according to a video posted on X . Elsewhere online, a Columbia student said protesters had stolen, and then tried to burn, an Israeli flag, and that Jewish students had been splashed with water.

The Columbia chapter of Chabad, an international Orthodox Jewish movement, said that protesters targeted Jewish students with expletives as they left campus.

The White House condemned the episodes of antisemitic protest. A spokesman, Andrew Bates, said that “calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous.”

Elie Buechler, an Orthodox rabbi who works at Columbia, said that campus and city police officers had failed to guarantee the safety of Jewish students “in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy" and suggested that the students return home “until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved.”

That view was not universally shared. Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus, called for increased security and said it was not urging Jewish students to leave.

Some on-campus activists distanced themselves from the agitators.

“There’s so many young Jewish people who are, like, a vital part” of the protests, said Grant Miner, a Jewish graduate student at Columbia who belongs to a student coalition calling on Columbia to divest from companies connected to Israel.

That group said in a statement, “We are frustrated by media distractions focusing on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us,” and added that the group’s members “firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry.”

Reporting was contributed by Liset Cruz , Colbi Edmonds , Luis Ferré-Sadurní , Erin Nolan and Sharon Otterman .

Alan Blinder is a national correspondent for The Times, covering education. More about Alan Blinder

Our Coverage of the U.S. Campus Protests

News and Analysis

The nation’s most entrenched protest is at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where pro-Palestinian protesters have occupied the administration building and forced a campus closure until May 10.

Some colleges that initiated police crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests have since taken a different tack . Others have defended the move.

Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has plunged into Democrats’ political storm over the war in Gaza, further polarizing an already tense debate, after she suggested that some Jewish students are “pro-genocide.”

Denied a Second Chance: After Covid ruined high school graduation for the class of 2020, the response to campus protests might upend their college commencements .

Deepening Democratic Rifts: Scenes of chaos unfolding on campuses across the country are stoking internal divisions within the Democratic Party and carry political risk as a major election year unfolds.

What Makes a Protest Antisemitic?: Pro-Palestinian student activists say their movement is anti-Zionist but not antisemitic. It is not a distinction that everyone accepts.

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It should recognize and ( sometimes) reward safe behavior. Make it safe to speak up about unsafe conditions. Sell people on safety. Build a team culture around safety. Encourage people to slow down when it comes to safety. The role of stress on safety. Interweave these ideas into your safety speech messaging.
COVID Communication Skills: Speaking Through A Mask
If you mumble, run words together or even drop certain consonant sounds, having a mask over your mouth will just magnify the problem. Now is the time to exaggerate your diction. Make those /p/, /t/ and /k/ sounds pop, especially in the middle of words and at the end. Speak at a deliberate pace. Unless you're a trained professional, fast ...
All Masked Up: On World Voice Day, Solutions to COVID-19 Voice ...
April 16, 2021. Masks, face shields, and respirators all aid in preventing COVID-19 transmission. They also make communication more difficult. Often, we struggle to hear each other, or we find our voices tiring out more quickly after speaking through masks. Vocal fatigue can also lead to persistent hoarseness or other voice changes, which in ...
Which COVID Face Masks Are Best for Speech ...
According to Bottalico, the frequency range most important for speech intelligibility falls within the range face masks affect the most. In a comparison of three types of masks — a three-layer fabric mask, a surgical mask, and an N95 mask — in two different classroom settings, he found the fabric masks to be the most unfavorable option for ...
Communicating Effectively While Wearing Masks
ASHA prioritizes health and safety and recognizes that masks may make in-person schooling possible because mask use reduces infection. ... say it a different way or write it down. Masks and Speech-Language Development in Children. At this time, we are not aware of any research about mask use and speech and language development. Studies do exist ...
How Masks Impact Communication
Wearing a mask removes many visual cues that we get from the speaker. Masks attenuate sound by three to twelve decibels and also result in low-pass filtering of high-frequency sounds. This can make it more difficult to understand speech and some higher-pitched voices (Goldin et al., 2020). Masks hide many non-verbal cues, such as smiling.
How To Start A Safety Talk
Pick a good time. Pick a good topic. Prepare the talk. Deliver the talk. And once you are at the delivery stage, you can start your talk. Because having a good topic prepared, and giving the talk at the right time, means the talk will be both interesting and useful to your team. Timing is important.
Using Masks for In-Person Service Delivery During the COVID-19 ...
ASHA places a priority, first and foremost, on health and safety. Masks and Speech and Language Development . Questions have arisen regarding a possible connection between mask use by those who interact with young children (e.g., teachers, caregivers, day care providers) and delays in speech, language, and social development.
How to Communicate When Everyone Is Wearing a Mask
(A) Happiness is usually perceived when the corners of the lips rise upward. With face masks, happiness can be caught on the face by focusing on the wrinkles at the edge of the eyes. (B) Sadness involves movement of the eyebrows, the nasolabial folds, and the corners of the lips; however, the last two are masked by face masks.(C) Facial expression of anger emphasizes the downward and central ...
Acoustic and perceptual impact of face masks on speech: A scoping
During the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment such as facial masks and coverings were mandated all over the globe to protect against the virus. Although the primary aim of wearing face masks is to protect against viral transmission, they pose a potential burden on communication. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the state of the evidence of the effect of facial ...
For Speech Sounds, 6 Feet With a Mask Is Like 12 Feet Without
The next time you don your protective gear, I offer a phrase to remind you of these new communication burdens: For speech sounds, six feet with a mask is like 12 feet without. Nicholas Giuliani, AuD, PhD, CCC-A, is a research audiologist at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. [email protected].
How to communicate effectively while wearing a mask
Face masks lower the volume of speech. Research shows that cloth and surgical masks reduce the clarity of speech and lower it by about 5 decibels (dB). This effect isstronger when a person is wearing an N95 medical mask, which can lower speech by about 12 dB. Face masks can lower the clarity of speech, causing works to sound "garbled."
National Safety Day Speech
National Safety Day Speech. National Safety Day is an annual event observed in India on March 4. It is an initiative by the National Safety Council of India (NSCI) to raise awareness about safety measures and promote a safety culture across various sectors. The day aims to educate people about the importance of safety in their daily lives ...
PDF Speech air flow with and without face masks
All masks will slow down air flow compared to speech without an air mask. Masks that are porous enough will allow air flow out the front, but attenuate its speed and distance of motion. Masks that ...
prepare a speech on mask for safety
A speech Mask for Safety. Good morning one and all present over here, I am Rishabh from class 10th would like to give a speech on a very important topic that is "Mask for safety.". We know very well that from last two years we have been facing lot of issues due to Corona Pandemic. It is very important to wear a mask in public place to keep ourself safe and others.
ASHA to CDC: Recognize Need for Clear Face Masks, Flexible
June 8, 2020. In a letter sent today [PDF] to U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) calls for the agency to emphasize the need for clear face masks and the use of other communication aids to protect people with hearing and other communication disorders.. The need for such resources is not covered by ...
You wish to take part in the elocution competition which is organised
Speech Writing: Write a speech on 'An Indian Farmer' in about 100-150 words. Speech Writing: Prepare a speech on 'The place of women in Indian society' in about 100-150 words. Prepare a speech on 'Health and Diet'. You may use the following points: Health is wealth. Good health depends on regular exercise and balanced food. We are what-what ...
What We Know About the Protests at Columbia University
Elie Buechler, an Orthodox rabbi who works at Columbia, said that campus and city police officers had failed to guarantee the safety of Jewish students "in the face of extreme antisemitism and ...