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Feature


can also substantially affect the way that people feel about their workplace. A recent report1


revealed that approximately 600,000


workplace injuries are recorded in the UK each year and a large proportion of these are attributable to unsafe office furniture. Investing in ergonomic furniture substantially reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. A growing trend is the sit-stand desk, and research by the NHS shows that standing at a desk while working boosts productivity2


. Sound barriers


Open plan offices (70% of all workplaces) are great for communication; less so for those who need to concentrate. A recent study has shown that distracting noises in an office can reduce employee performance by


66%3


, while another study4


found that noise


correlates with increased stress hormone levels and reluctance to engage with others. Furthermore, sleek, open spaces often use a lot of glass and concrete which creates harsh echoes and compounds environmental noises. According to The Sound Agency5


, sound


masking technology boosts employees’ ability to concentrate by 46% improvement and their short-term memory accuracy can increase by 10%. So what can employers do to reduce noise disturbance? A helpful starting point is to identify the


cause of the problem. Commissioning an acoustic technician to carry out a survey to understand the nature of the noise problem helps to identify realistic acoustic goals.


The solutions may include: • Clever furniture choices such as acoustic soft seating, high backed chairs and enclosed booths to manage open-plan office noise problems creatively and effectively. If using cubicles, divider panels should be at least 60 inches high, ideally 72 inches. Furniture should have a sound blocking rating of about 18-20 Sound Transmission Class (STC). The layout of the furniture is a key consideration too.


• Box in noise by erecting enclosures around machines and using barriers to block the direct path of sound.


• Carpets (especially if well-cushioned) not only reduce footfall, but also absorb sound and block noise from the floor below. Continued on page 16


fmuk 29


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