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Managing noise to make a healthier workplace
Posted on by . Tags: Choice Office Furniture, Office Noise
Workplace wellness is a growing consideration in office design. The way an office is arranged and setup can make employees happier or healthier. And a poor design can lead to conflicts and difficulties completing work. Noise is a factor that has a big impact to workplace wellness but is not typically at the forefront of wellness initiatives. Managing the noise in a workplace can make employees happier and healthier - improving the quality and quantity of output.
How noisy can an office get? All the individual noises – from conversations to photocopying equipment – add up. A regular office can have a noise level upwards of 65 decibels. Music rings in around 80 decibels and shouting tops out at 90 decibels.
Fortunately, a typical office workplace does not carry a significant risk of contributing to hearing loss, but the noise does have an impact on wellness and health.
The Canadian Safety Council outlined the impacts of noises in indoor workplaces. Unwanted sounds can increase stress, break concentration and impair communication. Physical harms that can result from unwanted noises are headaches, nausea and discomfort. There isn’t a strict decibel level when the negative impacts begin, but rather any unwanted sound can potentially reduce productivity.
The challenging this of noise is that everyone has a difference preference level for noise that is suitable for their habits. Everyone has a different definition to “unwanted” sounds. Some only work in silence while other prefer the buzz of a full coffee shop. That means there is no perfect level of noise that maximizes happiness and health for all workers.
For a universal solution, noise throughout a workplace can be managed with sound reduction and prevention furniture. Permanent fixes include installing sound absorbing materials on walls, ceiling and on the side of workstations. The Clarus Flip Panels are one-part glassboard and one-part sound absorbing panel. These panels are ideal for meeting rooms and can be used simultaneously as a whiteboard and sound-reducing panel.
Another approach to managing noise is designating quiet areas and designating noisy area. Employees can select the workspace that suits their preferences. To create more flexibility when designating areas, try a movable divider with sound absorbing partitions.
Similar to designating regions in the office based on noise, another tip is to designate certain times for more noisy activities. For example, set a few hours in the morning as quieter times, where group meetings, calls and other noisy activities have to be done in conference rooms.
Everyone has a different preference for what they consider is unwanted noise, but everyone can agree that unwanted noise is not desirable. With some sound absorbing furniture and thoughtful workplace policies, everyone can find a spot or time that suits their noise preferences.