Soundproofing and productivity at work are inextricably linked. Loud or persistent noise is not only distracting, but also affects employee health. Employers lose money through distractions and employee turnover because many offices are not designed for these noise levels. Small strategic soundproofing measures integrated into the office design can significantly affect employee satisfaction, health and business results. This concept is not new. The links between noise, health and concentration have been known for several decades.
The health effects can be:
- stress-related illnesses
- high blood pressure
- speech disorders
- hearing loss
- sleep disorders
- productivity losses
The effects of ambient noise on creative workspaces include:
- strong distraction
- slow processing of information
- low creativity
A noise level that affects concentration is defined as around 40 dB. (Source: HUG-Technik - Noise level )
Noise in the (indoor) store
Many environmental factors bring noise. For example, the number of cars on public transport is constantly increasing. What brings employees to work in the city center quickly becomes a disadvantage once their work begins. Once your employees are inside the office and the space concept cannot withstand the noise outside, the joy of the city will quickly fade. Once employees cannot even take a call without interruption, the space concept of the office is not the right one. More and more companies are moving to already existing structures. This saves them money and time. This shift brings another set of challenges, in addition to the noise of the city, which is constantly increasing. These buildings were not designed for such purposes and must be reconfigured to meet the needs of the employees. This often leads to an open office layout, which creates even more noise problems to solve.
Survey: Factors that disrupt the workplace
Background noise, volume in the workplace, and disturbing noises came in second place with 30% in the Statista survey.
You can find more statistics at Statista
Soundproofing for individual employee workstations
As a tried and tested solution, room dividers and booths have helped companies of all sizes separate employees and reduce general office noise. Even low wall partitions that don't completely close someone off have proven to be effective. While some booth options lack style, there are actually more contemporary booth design options on the market. The key to success here is finding the perfect balance of noise reducing solutions that make sense for your work environment. (See: Acoustic Curtain / Sound Optimization )
Soundproofing for team work areas
As with soundproofing individual employees, the advantage here is the quieter working atmosphere. This means that the team can work in a concentrated manner and is not distracted by external influences. The background noise of other employees does not disturb the team at work and even if things get a little heated in the meeting room, other departments/teams are not disturbed.
From here on, hearing damage begins
According to the BGN, hearing damage begins at a volume of 85 dB. It is therefore important to protect yourself and your employees by taking appropriate measures at an early stage. (See: bgn-branchenwissen.de )
Look at your surroundings and work with what you have
No matter how beautiful you make a space, if people don't feel comfortable, they won't stay. Creating a truly comfortable environment where it's easy to work helps with employee retention. More and more time is spent in the office. Studies show that the average worker spends 44 hours a week at work. That's about 2,000 hours a year in which an employee is in the office with coworkers and exposed to noise and outside noise. As mentioned earlier, both someone making a smoothie in the break room and a passing train (85 dB) will disrupt employees' creative thinking. Conduct an audit of the space to understand how noise enters the building.
Noise can enter anywhere air enters: doors, walls, ceilings, windows, or other openings in the building. You can hire a professional or do it yourself. Become a noise expert, then implement strategic soundproofing measures to limit noise exposure. Noise reduction is about observing the source of the noise, assessing the room to find out where sound waves travel, and then bounce off or get absorbed.
While you can hire an acoustic consultant, many solutions can be implemented yourself with creative thinking, taking into account what finishes are present and how the dynamics of the space may change with the introduction of new materials or even new structures. There are two types of sound insulation, sound attenuation and sound absorption. Sound insulation stops noise from entering the building and sound absorption stops noise from reverberating in a space. Both need to be addressed when converting older buildings in city centers into ideal working environments.
Noise reduction in offices:
You don't need to soundproof the entire office. Find strategic spaces to provide acoustic privacy for phone calls and meetings. Not every office has an ideal area to take calls and providing that personal space is important for the caller and your employees.
Extra isolated rooms are perfect for open offices. This provides a quiet space when needed or is suitable for lively debates without distracting those working directly outside.
Sound absorption in offices:
Wall and ceiling panels help absorb sound. Any outside noise coming through your walls, windows and doors, and any noise coming from inside your office, will be reduced. There are so many great options available today that don't affect the aesthetics of the space. Combine modern technology with standing structures, such as permanent soundproof curtains , and use strategic soundproofing to make small changes that lead to big results. The integrity of the design will not be compromised by these changes, and employee satisfaction and productivity will increase.
If you have any questions about soundproofing offices and business premises, we will be happy to help you. Just give us a call.
We will be happy to advise you on the advice hotline 035208 - 34773, or write to us at info@rabenring.com .