NOISE CONTROL FOR YOUR OFFICE

Do you find yourself distracted by vocal colleagues? Are you worried about confidentiality breaches? Do you often mishear conversations? Is noise a nuisance in your office? If you can answer yes to any of these questions you may be suffering the effects of unwanted noise… and you’re not alone. Studies show that many people are affected by workplace noise and that it can seriously reduce worker effectiveness. 72 % 64 % 59 % of workers are dissatisfied with their speech privacy. University of California at Berkeley study of office workers are interrupted up to 20 times a day. Brother research of employee time is spent trying to do quiet, focused work in one’s own workspace. BOSTI research ACOUSTIC COMFORT NOISE CONTROL FOR YOUR OFFICE 3 70 % of workers said they could be more productive in a less noisy office environment. ASID study 4 Bring noise control to your office 6 Make yourself comfortable 8 Noise management makes sound financial sense 10 Why has noise become an issue? 12 Sounds bad, what’s the solution? 14 The ABC of acoustics 16 Test results that speak for themselves 18 The LogiSon ® Acoustic Network 20 LogiSon ® Acoustic Network set up 22 Reduce noise and reverberation 24 Example areas of application 28 A background to sound 30 Installation and guarantees 32 Our partners 33 Market sector experience 34 FAQs 35

acousticcomfort ™

NOISE CONTROL FOR YOUR OFFICE

Reduce noise disruptions Maintain speech privacy Improve productivity

Enjoy acoustic comfort

Do you find yourself distracted by vocal colleagues? Are you worried about confidentiality breaches?

Do you often mishear conversations?

Is noise a nuisance in your office?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions you may be suffering the effects of unwanted noise… and you’re not alone Studies show that many people are affected by workplace noise and that it can seriously reduce worker effectiveness

of workers are dissatisfied with their speech privacy.

University of California

at Berkeley study

of office workers are interrupted up

to 20 times a day.

Brother research

of employee time is spent trying to do quiet, focused work in one’s own workspace.

BOSTI research

70 %

of workers said they could

be more productive in a less

noisy office environment.

ASID study

4 Bring noise control to your office

6 Make yourself comfortable

8 Noise management makes sound

financial sense

10 Why has noise become an issue?

12 Sounds bad, what’s the solution?

14 The ABC of acoustics

16 Test results that speak for

themselves

18 The LogiSon® Acoustic Network

20 LogiSon® Acoustic Network set up

22 Reduce noise and reverberation

24 Example areas of application

Bring noise control

to your office

10 reasons to use Acoustic Comfort

Since the 1960s a desire for greater efficiency and lower

costs within corporations has resulted in an open plan

working environment Whilst this has made communication

easier and allowed teamwork to flourish, such large spaces

can suffer badly from echo and reverberation

By blending advanced technology with specialist knowledge

extraneous noise will be effectively controlled We

guarantee the result will be a more comfortable working

environment that allows employees to concentrate on

scheduled tasks, reduces stress and increases productivity

Acoustic Comfort is a specialist consultancy

service We provide managed, noise control

that helps eliminate common noise related

problems in the workplace; reducing

distractions, maintaining privacy and

improving clarity.

Maintain privacy

Regain speech privacy in areas where any breach of sensitive

or classified information would be potentially damaging

Improve intelligibility

Simultaneously enhance communication between colleagues

and improve clarity between staff and customer’s telephone

conversations by eliminating background interruptions

Increase concentration

Create a balanced background sound level to reduce any

distracting spikes in noise

Lower stress levels

Reduce high level noise to improve concentration, increase

performance and productivity levels, in turn decreasing stress

and leading to greater job satisfaction

Suit any business

Acquire a flexible solution that meets the requirements in

virtually any market sector

Assess your situation

Determine the extent of any noise related issues you may

be experiencing with a full acoustic survey

Create aesthetic, absorbing solutions

Print graphics and images on the latest Reverb acoustic panels and screens, without necessarily changing the way your office looks Designed to look discreet, no frame is visible as all fabric is wrapped and tucked in – great for architects who require a smooth finish

Use the latest advanced technology

Enjoy advanced, fully digital sound masking provided by the LogiSon® Acoustic Network, a system unique in providing control of addressable speakers from a central control panel

Acoustic Comfort employs a consultative

approach that enables us to identify all acoustic

issues, providing a balanced overall solution that

improves privacy, clarity and comfort

Key features of Acoustic Comfort

In every office there is an acceptable

level of acoustic comfort, just as

there is with more familiar ergonomic

concerns such as light, temperature

and humidity The affects of getting

it wrong are well known Setting the

thermostat too high or too low will

lead to discomfort Incorrect lighting

can cause eye strain and headaches

An awkward posture at a workstation

is literally a pain in the neck which

could result in weeks off work

Good acoustics are an essential

element in the ergonomic mix

Ensuring correct levels of privacy,

speech intelligibility and sound quality

are maintained will result in improved

personal well being and a more

productive workforce And it needn’t be

complicated Our advanced technology

enables us to manage sound levels

as easily as adjusting a thermostat

Studies show disruptive noise and lack of speech privacy are leading problems in today’s buildings The intrusion of colleagues conversations

is now the most distracting noise for office workers, closely followed by noise generated from telecommunication equipment

Noise is a very powerful distracting force that draws attention away from these tasks It can take up to four times as long as the interruption itself to return to the task in hand On average this equals 15 minutes before the person regains concentration

Additionally, overheard conversations can lead to confidentiality breaches in sensitive areas

Make yourself comfortable

The noise floor

The noise floor is the level of continuous sound that characterizes a space at any given time To be heard, other sounds must rise above this floor If the floor

is too high, the environment will be irritating and tiring If the floor is too low, conversations and noises can easily

be overheard and become disruptive

In open plan offices, the noise floor is usually so low that conversations are intelligible from up to 50 feet (15.2 meters) away Noticeable rises and falls in sound over time, and across the workplace, make it even more difficult

to ‘block out’ the distractions caused

by noise

Only a sound masking system can attain

a proper noise floor, which is generally between 42dB(A) and 48dB(A) The masking sound decreases disruptions due to noise, increases speech privacy, and reduces the variation in sound over time and across the space, making the office more comfortable

Businesses invest a lot of time and money

creating the ideal environment for their staff

Lighting, climate control and ergonomically

designed furniture are all commonplace,

so why leave acoustics out of the equation?

The benefits for staff efficiency

Reducing office noise levels will enhance

communication between colleagues and

improve call clarity between staff and

customers, making concentration far easier.

Sweating your assets doesn’t work

In an increasingly value orientated climate, many businesses try ‘sweating their assets’ By looking at their existing assets and trying to make them work harder it’s reasonable to assume, for example, that increasing the number

of people in an open plan office by 20% will achieve a 20% increase in productivity However, cramming as many people in to as small a space as possible rarely works because of one important overlooked fact; people are not machines

A highly populated office inevitably leads to a high build up of noise As more people converse the space soon fills with large numbers trying to speak and listen at the same time Eventually

a volume level is reached where no one can hear properly due to the high background noise level created by all the conversations This significantly reduces work output and leads to declining job satisfaction

Of course, the choice of materials and construction methods are also

of paramount importance to a effective build or fit-out Acoustic Comfort has the knowledge and expertise to significantly reduce these costs, whilst also improving the acoustic environment

cost-Silence is not the answer

Too quiet or too loud? Disruptive noise causes distractions and makes

it difficult to concentrate – an issue for any employee engaged in

normal, everyday activities Just as bad is an acoustic environment

resembling a library, with voices carrying further and seeming louder

A balanced background noise floor is often the best answer

Most evaluations of the acoustic environment focus only on the

quantity, or volume, of sound In so doing, noise control strategies

are often pursued in the “Quest for Silence” – the notion that good

acoustics are achieved when the sound levels in a space are as

low as possible, with zero being the best However, just as with

ergonomic factors such as light, temperature and humidity, there

is a comfort zone for the volume of sound, and it is not zero

Noise management makes sound financial sense

Investing in Acoustic Comfort will not only provide relief for staff but

also show viable return on your investment in a fairly short period of

time The biggest cost to the company may be to do nothing

Research commissioned by Brother

proves that it takes an average of 15

minutes to regain concentration after

being distracted from a difficult task

by unwanted noise If each person

is interrupted 5 times a day and it

takes up to 15 minutes to regain full

concentration, this equates to a 15%

reduction in productivity over an average

8 hour working day

The above example visually illustrates

this 15% reduction in productivity It

shows that in a company employing

200 staff this is equivalent to 30 people

effectively being paid to do nothing!

The potential benefit of reducing those

noise interruptions, at an average annual

salary of £20,000 per person, is an

increase in productivity of £600,000

per annum

Studies show that even mildly noisy workspaces can cause stress, lead to demotivation amongst employees and often reduce their productivity As the example shows, it is not as costly an option as you may have been led to believe The return on investment is likely to occur over a period of weeks, not years

A 15% reduction in productivity means you’re effectively paying 15% of employees to do nothing.

The reality of a 15% reduction in staff productivity

Working Not working

The building is predominantly open plan with 500

staff handling hundreds of calls a day, with each

operative spending 90% of their time working

on their own, making concentration and low

stress a priority The interior fit out is of a very

high standard, making the environment light and

airy The acoustics make the building feel calm

and peaceful, telephone conversations can’t

be heard clearly from 5m distance allowing the

staff to give their full attention to the callers

Acoustic Comfort installed LogiSon® sound masking

throughout the building, including all open plan areas,

meeting rooms, training rooms and reception The

system comprises 201 speakers largely visible in

the open roof space 6 metres above the desks The

public address component allows the reception staff

to address specific areas or the whole building and

the system is used for emergency evacuation

Capita, B1, Birmingham

CASE STUDY

Capita is the UK’s leading outsourcing company Service Birmingham

at B1 is a joint venture with Birmingham City Council The aim of

the project is to provide staff with the best ITC, improve service,

cut costs and increase staff job satisfaction.

Noise issue

Privacy Comfort

is on the phone at all”

Sonja Thomas Head of Facilities, Capita

C

Why has noise

become an issue?

Today’s modern workplace is now an open plan

area covered with smooth, hard materials such

as marble, Corrian, glass, laminates, painted

plasterboard and wooden flooring It may give

a great interior aesthetic but these surfaces also

provide the ideal conditions for sound to travel

Carpet 0.01 0.02 0.06 0.15 0.25 0.45Concrete floor (unpainted, rough finish) 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1Marble floor 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02Wood flooring on joists 0.15 0.11 0.1 0.07 0.06 0.07Brick wall 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.07Doors (solid wood panels) 0.1 0.07 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.04Glass (6mm plate, large pane) 0.18 0.06 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.02Plasterboard stud wall (12mm panelling) 0.29 0.1 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.04Plasterboard ceiling (12mm in suspended grid) 0.15 0.11 0.04 0.04 0.07 0.08

Absorption coefficients for common materials used in construction

The problem facing designers

Making an office look and sound good is a particular

headache for facilities managers and planning teams

Poor acoustics are often the result of a combination

of factors including:

• The choice of fashionable materials: glass, concrete, wood

or tiled floors and metal ceilings all have poor acoustic

properties and reflect virtually all noise back into the room

• The trend to build partition walls from raised floor

to underside of the ceiling, which leads to poor

speech privacy

• Low noise heat and ventilation and effective external

glazing, which reduce the natural background sound

to the level of a library

Many acoustic problems occur when all materials are poorly absorbing Choosing softer surfaces like carpet and curtains allows much more sound energy to be absorbed, reducing room echo Products that use advanced materials, like Reverb, now allow offices to follow the modern aesthetic trend with minimal impact on the interior design Ultimately, planning a space with the end user in mind will go a long way

to creating an acoustically comfortable environment

A materials ability to absorb or reflect sound energy is measured on the sound absorption coefficients scale from

0 to 1 (see below) If a surface were a perfect reflector

it would have a coefficient of 0 If it completely absorbs sound energy it would have an absorption coefficient of 1

5 most common sources of noise

Noise and health issues

Numerous university, government

and corporate studies show that noise

diminishes productivity and increases

errors by compromising employees’

ability to concentrate In fact, a survey

of 400 business managers conducted

by BOMA and the University of

Maryland identified noise control as the

greatest opportunity for productivity

improvement, with an estimated

average increase of 26 percent The

findings of other surveys are similar

More than 70 percent of respondents

said they would be more productive

if their workplace was quieter

Recent research indicates that noise

might also affect employees’ health

Occupants of noisy spaces exhibit

physiological signs of stress Because

noise is disruptive, employees must

expend more effort to focus on

their tasks, leading to fatigue and, in

some cases, decreased awareness

of the need to make ergonomic

adjustments or to take a break

Noise disruptions can also affect mood,

leaving employees feeling irritable,

anxious or agitated Addressing these

acoustic issues can help boost their

morale and satisfaction with their

day-to-day working environment

Example of

improved acoustics

The graph shows the difference in

reverberation time before and after

installation of acoustic absorbing

ceiling tiles in the reception area of the

Chamber of Commerce, Luxemburg

Shorter reverberation times are better

The new ceiling halved reverberation

time in middle frequencies, creating

a more balanced and less reverberant

environment Additionally the tiles

used made no visible difference

to the aesthetics of the space

The right to privacy

Several countries are in the process of enacting laws to protect privacy In the United States, for example, the right to privacy has been officially recognized

in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) developed by the Department of Health and Human Services HIPAA includes consideration

of the oral communication of PHI and requires companies to take “reasonable safeguards” to ensure speech privacy

Regulations such as these impose certain administrative, technical and physical requirements on employers,

but respecting privacy in the workplace

is also an excellent business practice

Employees are an important asset and respecting their privacy is key

to winning their respect

In educational establishments the response to acoustic problems has resulted in several countries including Australia, Canada, Sweden and the United States developing standards that address classroom acoustics

Unfortunately the EU lag behind somewhat although the problem

is recognised as serious

1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0

80 125 200 315 500 800 1250 2000 3150 5000 8000 12500

Before treatmentAfter acoustic treatment

Frequency (Hz)

Sounds bad,

what’s the

solution?

An assessment of your particular

noise issue will help us determine

the best course of action to take

and categorise the noise problem

into one of three areas to provide

the most effective solution

Assessment

Acoustic Comfort provides a comprehensive and complimentary consultancy service for every client From the outset this is tailored to meet individual needs and often involves an initial site visit and written report of acoustic issues, together with relevant solutions Our specialist staff have extensive experience and knowledge of all aspects of noise issues and sound solutions, but will always recommend

a complete survey by an independent acoustician where necessary We work with an international network of distribution specialists who bring expertise from numerous facilities and related fields

New or existing build?

Before consultation can begin we need to establish whether

the issue is in an existing building or a project still on the

drawing board For buildings currently under development

we need to get involved as soon as possible, working with

the architects and designers to minimize acoustic disruption

Within existing buildings a site visit will be required to

assess the current acoustic conditions and a survey

produced 70% of our time is spent correcting issues

within current spaces

0Female

Male

Intelligibility score (%)10080

604020

0 Without masking

With masking

0

98 95

Excellent results

Testing of the finished solution shows just how effective

acoustic treatment is, particularly the installation of sound

masking, as this chart of speech privacy scores for Capital

International, Geneva illustrates Measurements were taken

in a corridor outside closed offices in front of sliding glass

doors In the absence of sound masking the intelligibility

scores exceeded 95%, that is over 95% of what was said

could be understood to those outside the offices

The presence of a sound masking system not only allowed

intelligibility levels to be reduced to zero, but also ensured

that conversations would not be audible, thus providing the

complete confidentiality expected by the occupants

Issue 1

Lack of speech privacy

An issue typically experienced in cellular or closed office

work spaces Speech privacy is particularly important in

sectors where consultations must remain confidential, such

as human resources, legal, banking, medical and financial

Such professionals usually work in closed office settings and

treat personal information with care However, closed doors

and even slab-to-slab walls are usually not enough to ensure

speech privacy Poor door seals, gaps between the wall

and suspended ceiling and gaps between the wall and the

window mullion are some of the problems that allow sound

to leak into adjoining spaces for others to overhear

Issue 2

Noise and concentration

A very common issue in open plan spaces which, unless

carefully designed and furnished, continually reverberate

sound As noise levels rise the space fills up with people all

trying to communicate The end result is a noisy, ineffective

and less productive working environment resulting in missed

or misheard conversations

One major misconception by designers, engineers and

architects to limit this is the theory that quiet is good

However, making air conditioning, printers and electronic

devices quieter merely creates an environment in which the

human voice seems louder and travels further, interrupting

more people Much better is to create a balanced background

sound level that reduces any distracting spikes in noise,

whilst preventing levels from dropping too low

Issue 3

Combined speech privacy,

noise and concentration

Work environments that make use of both closed and open

plan spaces can cause particular problems for the people that

occupy them

This contemporary arrangement is cost effective and can

help build good working relationships, but it does not create

a successful acoustic environment Typically a busy open

office may be located in close proximity to quiet cellular

offices or confidential meeting rooms, and noise travelling

from one area to the other can prove extremely distracting

for people occupying the space

By identifying all the acoustic issues in a shared space,

it’s possible to provide a balanced overall solution that

improves both privacy and comfort

Option 1

Slab-to-slab construction improves confidentiality but reduces flexibility and increases installation program time and dilapidation costs

Managing privacy between offices

Screen + absorbing ceiling Screen + mineral ceiling

No screen + absorbing ceiling

No screen, mineral ceiling

Intelligibility score (%)

100806040200

Without masking With masking

96

Absorb

Capture reflected

sound

The use of specialised products

to absorb the sound energy

that hits them and reduce

unwanted, reflected sound

energy from hard surfaces

such as glass and concrete

Introducing acoustic products

like acoustic ceiling tiles and

Reverb Panel and Reverb Art,

leads to dramatic reductions in

reverberation and improvements

in sound quality

Speech intelligibility example

Example intelligibility scores (%)

from a real life project in Dubai for a

male voice distanced 1.7m from the

speaker Lower percentages indicate

decreased discernible speech giving

better speech privacy

Results clearly show that combining

absorbing screens and ceilings with

sound masking (purple highlight)

gives the best result

Block

Stop sound travelling

The introduction of vertical barriers between the noise source and listener to block sound travelling from one to the other The higher the barrier, the more effective the result, using products like partitions, screens and cabinets

The most effective barrier products are those with a dense core to stop sound travelling through the material and an absorbent outer face to ‘soak up sound’ such as the Reverb Screen

Cover

Mask unwanted noise

Computer generated random sound that covers or masks unwanted noise and makes conversation and noise more difficult to hear and comprehend The sound has no information within it so the brain doesn’t recognise it and therefore we are not distracted by it

Acoustic Comfort use the award winning LogiSon® Acoustic Network, a fully digital sound masking system

The ABC of acoustics

The best way to achieve a properly managed acoustic environment

is through a carefully balanced combination of absorption, blocking

and cover techniques It’s as simple as ABC.

Their offices in London provide a central base for the chairman, CEO and other executives

The first floor comprises of a number of meeting rooms and offices, with a very small open plan

element for administration staff The board meets once a month at this location and during these

and other sensitive meetings it became necessary to leave all other rooms empty as speech

could be clearly heard The sound predominantly travelled through the metal perforated ceiling

tile and the ceiling plenum, but a full acoustic study was commissioned and identified a number

of weaknesses in the partition system and a lack of absorption generally

The 40+ page report detailed every weakness and made recommendations to solve the speech

privacy issue; this report then formed the basis of a guarantee of results from Acoustic Comfort

The solution was three fold:

• A contractor was commissioned to block all the gaps in the partitions using a PU foam

• The LogiSon® sound masking system was installed in the ceiling plenum to raise the

background sound

• A layer of 40mm Rockwool was

fitted into every perforated ceiling tile

in the offices and meeting rooms

The solution has proved so effective that

the PA to the Chairman can no longer tell

if he was in his office and the board now

sits every month with all meeting rooms

in use

FTSE 100 financial services group

CASE STUDY

A leading FTSE 100 financial services group offering UK Life and

Pensions, International Life and Pensions and Asset Management

Noise issue

Comfort Privacy and comfort

Solution

“The report was essential to us,

in the knowledge that it is acoustically secure”

Head of Property UK

Concentration levels

Before

The results show speech from one source

affecting concentration in many areas

After

Speech travel is limited, creating

small, positive communication areas,

whilst other people not involved in the

conversation remain unaffected

Test results that

speak for themselves

Predictive computer testing diagrams demonstrate just how effective sound management is at limiting unwanted noise Illustrations show simulated before and after scores measured from a single sound source, with affected areas shown in pink

Conversations are intelligible to listeners

over a large area of the office resulting

in minimal privacy

Speech privacy levels

After

Areas of intelligible conversation are

greatly reduced, resulting in increased

conversational privacy

The Privacy Index

The Privacy Index (PI) is an industry standard measurement, expressed as a percentage, used to indicate the

degree of speech privacy in open or closed spaces It takes into account the combined acoustical performance

of everything in the space, including ceiling, walls, floor covering and furniture Higher percentages are better

Level 1: No privacy, PI 0 – 69%

The speech of one worker is clearly understood by,

or intelligible to, adjoining workers and is completely

distracting to the casual listener This level is common

in open plan offices

Level 2: Transitional or poor privacy, PI 70 – 79%

The speech of one worker is often distracting to the other

This degree of privacy exists in facilities where there is a

high level of interaction between employees

Level 3: Normal ‘non intrusive’ privacy, PI 80 – 94%

At this level employees in close proximity have enough privacy so that, although they can hear others’ speech, sentence intelligibility and distracting noise levels are reduced This is a satisfactory level for most

Level 4: Confidential privacy, PI 95 – 100%

The speech of one worker is not intelligible to the other The speech might be heard, but sentences will not be understood Thus complete conversational privacy is achieved

The LogiSon ®

Acoustic Network

Acoustic Comfort use the LogiSon Sound Masking System,

a revolutionary, industry leading, sound masking, paging and

music system, to provide the cover element of our ABC solution

Since its introduction it has earned numerous product awards for innovation and performance and for technological advances such as Ethernet connectivity, addressable control panels and handheld control.

the sa me energy as a light bulb.

Sound masking components are

tested according to UL, FCC

and CE standards and approved

for use in plenu m spaces.