ACOUSTICS & SOUND
HOW GOOD ACOUSTICS ALLEVIATE WORKPLACE STRESS AND ANXIETY With social distancing still vitally important in the fight against COVID-19, open-plan offices have never been a scarier place to work but return we must – for our mental health as much as our livelihoods, but could this be actually adding to our stress? Soundtect investigates. SOUNDTECT
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he open-plan office is a concept that is highly successful for several reasons. It is costeffective, allows room for expansion and changing team dynamics and creates more working collaboration; it creates a ‘buzzy atmosphere’ and enhances the office culture and enjoyment at work. Every business wants more happy workers as they influence an organisation’s success and performance, but handled badly in design stage, noise pollution is inevitable. Noise is a primary cause of stress and reduction in productivity, and with the fear factor also thrown in, this could contribute to higher levels of stress and illness, rising absenteeism and continuous turnover of staff. The typical noise level in an open-plan office is 65 dB, and shockingly that’s only 30 dB less than a lawnmower. And, background noise, even at low levels, has been found to increase stress levels and undermine short-term memory, reading comprehension and willingness to engage with others. Workers have been seen to be 60% less productive in a noisy office – which is a worrying statistic to any business owner. Offices with open-plan layouts may not have the budget, especially after a potential dent in their turnover during the pandemic, to start building walls, but with social distancing key, having FC&A – NOVEMBER – 2020
conversations whilst distanced will invariably lead to louder voices, which will; of course, lead to a higher level of noise distraction across the building. Soundtect is one of the many companies that specialises in the manufacture and supply of many different solutions which can be tailored to be as funky or discreet as you like to address this problem, and whilst the addition of acoustic solutions adds an extra dimension to the overall design of a building, its primary purpose is to counteract the noise travelling around it. And let’s face it, now it is more essential than ever to keep our minds calm and composed during these difficult and stressful times. 32
Plethora of choice Luckily, most applications – including baffles – can be easily installed as a retrofit project and are so varied in design and size that most offices will find an application that works perfectly for their space and, in this worrying period, budget. The surge in glass partitioned meeting rooms is another trend which began long before COVID-19, but is now as prevalent as ever to keep staff and visitors
