workstation.

In the meantime, I'll make sure this concern is communicated clearly so we can work toward a
solution rather than putting you or future students in a position where they feel they have to
escalate to a refusal.

Thank you again for raising this and being transparent about how it’s affecting you.
2026-01-23, 15:22 - Mark Holand: | will be filing a refusal to work form, as | feel no student
should ne subject to that constant level of ambient noise 2 feet behind there heads. If | worked
in a server room, | would where ear plugs all day. AND, me head would not constantly be 2 feet
away from the server. | understand from an infrastructure perspective, it it not immediately
feasible to move the server racks. BUT, this is an issue that should have been identified during
the plan phase. It's a known fact, the servers produce a lot of noise and heat, and therefore it's
ideal placement would not be behind a workstation, and something would have been done in
the planning phase, to mitigate the extra noise and heat. 56-63 dB may not be within hearing
protection range, but is much too high for an office environment. If you gave me a office desk,
next to that server, | would tell you to find me another office.

2026-01-23, 15:48 - Mark Holand: | want someone from safety, to sit at that workstation for 10
hours and tell me, to my face, that that is an acceptable level of noise, for what is basically and
office environment. This is not a server room, not the guideway, not vehicle. A lower level of
ambient ambient noise is to be excpeted, otherwise focus and concentration may suffer. My
Bluetooth speaker may be below 85dB, but | am not playing it in an open floor plan office
environment, so as not to disturb the concentration of my co workers.

2026-01-23, 15:52 - Mark Holand: It may not be loud enough by Worksafe standards to cause
apparent hearing damage (over the long term | do think | can be damaging), but it can have a
definite effect on someone's physical and mental health. It tests you patience to a point no
person should have to deal with.

2026-01-23, 15:53 - Mark Holand: | thought at the start | could deal with the noise, but no
longer. | refuse
2026-01-23, 15:57 - Mark Holand: | have personal steps that | take, because of my migraines,
to deal with constant, excessive, loud noise, but in a classroom environment, those tools are
not unavailable while | am trying to listen.

2026-01-23, 16:03 - Mark Holand: And any solution that still leaves workstation with a higher
ambient noise that the rest of the classroom, is unacceptable, and unfair to workstation 3.
2026-01-23, 16:12 - Mark Holand: Question: Did safety take samples though out the day
(constant monitoring and data logging) or did they do samples on the spot. One time samples
are NOT indicative of the over all day. What about when the servers get hot, and the fans spin
up? What a sound level samples obtained during those times? Or was it basically while the
system is at idle. There a BIG difference.

2026-01-25, 06:24 - +1 (604) 445-1907: Thank you for taking the time to explain your concerns
in detail. | can hear how strongly you feel about this and how frustrating the situation has been
for you, particularly given the impact you’re describing on your migraines, focus and overall well
being.