Noise in hospital wards adversely affects the physiological processes of both patients and staff and it is a potential risk for communication breakdowns and errors, causing discomfort and problems regarding the healing of patients, as well as stress, fatigue, and annoyance for staff. Several noise sources are present in the wards, such as HVAC systems, alarms, paging, speech, calls, diagnostic equipment, medical devices, and so forth. This paper describes two surveys carried out at an Italian hospital in Rome to investigate the noise in some wards and to collect self-reported assessments from staff about their working environments, even if such assessments were not required for occupational noise exposure evaluation. Self-reported staff evaluations of the working environment quality and the effects of noise on their performances should be investigated. For this purpose, in this study, questionnaires were designed and submitted to staff members. In addition, noise measurements were taken from short-, medium-, and long-term audio recordings processed to determine psychoacoustic parameters, e.g., loudness, sharpness, roughness, and fluctuation strength. Their applications in enclosed spaces can provide additional information on some features of the noise observed in hospital wards, which may influence the perceptions and relevant extra-auditory effects. Even though the results cannot be generalized, they encourage the development of a methodology for noise surveys in hospital wards, including noise measurements and “ad hoc” questionnaires to collect self-reported reactions from exposed staff members.

In the lifecycle management of lifting equipment, structural integrity assessment through non-destructive testing (NDT) is crucial for verifying safe continued operation after prolonged use. These inspections allow the detection of hidden defects that may compromise equipment reliability. International standards such as ISO 9927 and ISO 9712 offer general guidance on periodic inspections and personnel qualification. In Italy, Ministerial Decree 11/04/2011 requires a structural integrity check after twenty years of service. However, regulatory compliance alone does not ensure actual safety. Best practices must be rigorously applied and tailored to the equipment’s real condition. NDT effectiveness is often reduced by inadequate protocols or poorly chosen testing methods, which must be selected based on the structure's wear, environment, and configuration. This work critically analyzes the practical limitations of common NDT techniques in structural assessments of lifting equipment, highlighting the need for context-aware method selection. It stresses that inspector qualification is not, by itself, a guarantee of reliability: only the consistent application of standardized procedures, the adoption of suitable techniques, and strict adherence to professional and ethical standards ensure trustworthy results. A technically sound and ethically grounded approach is essential to uphold high standards of reliability, transparency, and safety in lifting equipment management.