Calgary teen wins award for drawing attention to the effects of loud hand dryers

Nora Keegan tested the decibel levels of 44 hand dryers across Calgary.

Calgary — A Calgary teenager was one of the winners of the Weston Youth Innovation Award, beating out other submissions from young Canadian innovators from ages 14-18.

Nora Keegan’s science project on noisy hand dryers came in second place, earning her $8,500.

Her project determined that some hand dryers operate at higher decibel volumes, presenting a real risk to young childrens’ hearing. The 14-year- old student has worked on this project since she was 9 years old, spending many hours testing and analyzing data.

Using a decibel meter, Keegan checked the noise level for 44 hand dryers around the Calgary.

According to Health Canada guidelines, children’s toys are not allowed to exceed 100 decibels. The hand dryers Keegan tested were all around 110 decibels or about as loud as a rock concert. That level of noise can cause hearing loss in children, previous studies have shown.

Keegan’s results have recently been published in Paediatrics & Child Health, the official journal for the Canadian Pediatrics Society. She has also met with manufacturers to raise awareness about the problem.