Ray Barratt has over 25 years' experience in noise assessment and control. He has an electrical, mechanical and electronics background and initially worked in the electricity supply industry and at the University of East Anglia, where he was responsible for technical facilities in language laboratories, phonetic research and sound recording. He then moved to environmental health where he specialised in domestic, industrial and commercial noise, planning, licensing and workplace noise assessment and control. Since 2002 he has been working independently as an Associate of Adrian James Acoustics Ltd, specialising in the assessment and control of environmental and industrial noise.