Sound Masking in the Workplace

Work environments and office spaces have changed significantly over the past 10 years, mostly for the better. Words like "collaborative", "open office concept", and "modern" come to mind when implementing these designs and changes. But does employee comfort enter the minds of employers as much as it should?

With employers struggling to keep on top of ever-changing technologies, there has been an increased need for open office plans and collaborative spaces large enough to accommodate the influx of new hires. One way companies have dealt with making their spaces seem larger are is by lowering cubicle partitions and making use of reflective surfaces. Sure that solves the problem of making room for everyone, but what about ensuring productivity in this now louder, more chaotic workplace?

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The Need for Office Noise Reduction Has Never Been Greater

To better understand just how acoustics in the workplace are being affected, imagine an open office plan where the only privacy that employees have is a 6’’ partition that separates their workstation from their neighbor’s.

A workplace survey released at the 2014 ICBEN Conference (International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise) notes human speech as the most disturbing source of noise in the workplace. In such a noisy and privacy-free environment, it’s no wonder productivity levels have seen a great decline.

The Importance of Sound Masking in the Workplace

What are your options as a business owner to fix this problem? Retrofitting your space back to private offices is expensive and impractical; so here are a few ways to reduce noise without losing your open office feel.

Sound Masking: The addition of a background noise (similar to air-flow), that is unobtrusive in nature can greatly promote noise reduction. This way, there are far fewer distractions, and human speech is muffled. The end result is a work environment where there’s a greater sense of privacy and comfort, which promotes productivity.

These electronic noise-reducing systems can be worked into any type of layout, even if you have a drop tile ceiling or exposed ductwork. Often, the whole system runs on its own wireless network and uses very little energy – allowing for a “set it and forget” sound masking solution. While this type of system does not eliminate traveling sounds, it muffles background noise to a dull murmur.

Sound Absorption Panels: These are thick, porous layers made from various materials (like polyurethane foam, cellular melamine, fiberglass, or fluffy fabrics) with the ability to absorb high, medium, and low-frequency sounds. Such panels can be bought in a range of sizes, colors, and capabilities. These panels are widely used to solve the problem of reverberation, and are very effective.

Soft surfaces like tack boards or cubicle walls tend to come to mind when speaking of sound absorption panels. And while they do offer some sound reduction, actual panels that can attach to walls or hang from ceilings are also solutions to consider for your space. Wall mounted solutions can range from simple to custom, elaborate pieces that are aesthetically appealing in their own right.

If you’d like to see sound masking at work, set up an appointment to come by our showroom! Our sales staff is knowledgeable and capable of guiding you to the perfect solution for your noisy office space.

 
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About Jasmin

Jasmin handles Internet sales and digital marketing here at Creative Office Furniture. She's been a valuable member of the Creative team since March 2014.[/author_info] [/author]