Adding noise to your office may seem counterintuitive as it can be distracting and uncomfortable. Many try to block out surrounding noise by soundproofing their office spaces with acoustic paneling, earphones, and other measures. But silence can be equally disruptive. By adding sound masking to your office, you may see not only increased productivity and efficiency but security and privacy as well.
Understanding Sound in the Workplace
Office noises, particularly that of human speech, build on top of one another, so people talk louder and louder to be heard. Think of a noisy cafeteria where many people are talking, so you have to raise your own voice just above average so your friend sitting next to you can hear. When an office sounds like this, concentrating becomes increasingly difficult, and your frustration and dissatisfaction with your work environment increases, too. This is also true when there is no or minimal noise.
In the days of yesteryear, offices were partitioned into cubicle workstations, most of which had carpeted walls. Along with plush furnishings, these walls absorbed sounds that traveled through a workspace. This noise absorption meant that employee conservations didn’t travel across the office and distract their fellow workers. It also means conversation could be kept more private.
But as our modern era shifts to the more minimalist open floor plans with hard surfaces such as concrete and glass – both of which appeal to a conventional, sleek design – the productivity and privacy of the office workplace become jeopardized. Hard surfaces reflect sound back into the environment rather than absorb it, allowing it to travel further. In an open floor plan, and even in cubicle offices where the partitions do not reach the ceiling, a conversation spoken in a moderate tone can be heard 45 feet away, distracting other employees and destroying the privacy and confidentiality of the speaker.
The Addition of Sound Masking
To combat this growing issue in our modern workplaces, many offices and businesses are installing sound masking systems. In layman’s terms, sound masking is the addition of an unobtrusive, broadband sound into a given environment to reduce distractions while increasing productivity and privacy.
Think back on that noisy cafeteria. The amount of noise could be considered loud and disruptive. However, because it is less likely anyone could pick out your conversation from the dozens of others, your confidence level may increase because you likely will not be overheard, making you more comfortable in the environment. Sound masking offers a similar feeling of confidence and comfort while maintaining a non-disruptive environment by introducing a random, continuous noise into the area through a set of speakers. And despite the advanced technology involved, sound masking systems are surprisingly cost-effective, making them a practical solution for businesses of all sizes.
In order to be most effective, this sound must be non-informational. By definition, it has no context or meaning, allowing the human brain to subtract it out subconsciously. This sound is played across the audible spectrum at a low level to “mask” the environmental noises that may disrupt people in the room.
White Noise vs. Sound Masking
When it comes to background noise, the term “White Noise” may come to mind. White noise machines are a common solution for people who have trouble sleeping due to noise disturbance at night. However, these machines and sound masking systems are not one in the same.
While both sound masking and white noise are random signals across different frequencies, there are significant differences between the two. White noise is localized through a particular source and contains all sound frequencies, often used to mask specific, identifiable sounds. On the other hand, sound masking is specifically designed to target the various frequencies of human speech. It adjusts across the frequency scale to match the spectra of noise coming from human voices, dispersing sound throughout the area to ‘drown out’ the noise made by the speaker.
Sound Masking Benefits in Commercial Settings
Using a sound masking system in an office has been shown to reduce the distraction radius of workers exposed to disruptive sound to about 15 feet. Conversations become unintelligible to those outside this radius, allowing workers to easily ignore these disturbances and be more productive and efficient.
A Boost to Security
Not only is sound masking great for the general workforce to improve productivity, but these systems can also significantly improve the security of government buildings and hospitals where confidentiality is a must. If you are dealing with highly sensitive information, be it classified material or for client confidentiality, the last thing you want is to be overheard. Sound masking, when combined with other acoustic treatments, can help meet the stringent government and military standards for speech security by creating secure zones for discussing sensitive topics.
Conclusion
In our modern era, protecting privacy and information is now more important than ever. While many organizations focus on soundproofing through noise reduction, adding a low, unobtrusive sound to your office space can yield surprising results. Sound masking enhances productivity and efficiency by creating a more comfortable acoustic environment while also bolstering security and privacy measures. By carefully balancing acoustics, our workplaces can become more pleasant, secure, and confidential.
