When office noise levels cause illness

Bad Münder, June 2007.

The findings of a study carried out by the TÜV Nord (German Technical Inspection Agency) comes to the conclusion that the annual cost of treating health problems caused by noise, is in the region of a 3-digit million sum. This amount does not include the losses caused to the employer due to absenteeism. Continuous noise stress can cause many illnesses and may lead to an increased heart disease risk as well as sleep disorders and concentration deficiency resulting in tinnitus and deafness. Recognizing this seriousness of this problem, Haworth, as a leading manufacturer of office furniture, puts emphasis on cutting noise levels by employing the skills of acoustic experts during the planning stage of its office workspaces.

Haworth, the architects of office spaces, have long since recognized the importance of this issue and the fact that manufacturing furniture alone is not sufficient. "More and more customers expect a total concept, defining the optimum use of their working environment. This is where we call in the acoustic experts," says Thorsten Prée, General Manager Haworth Deutschland. Even today, we tend to underestimate the noise levels created by speech alone - as the acoustic environment and the noise generated can be of great influence to the individual's learning and concentration levels, resulting in a drop in performance. A good room acoustic has no fixed values and is dependant on many factors.

"Our aim is to bring together the specific characteristics of a building, such as the building materials, climatic and lighting conditions with the acoustic needs of the employees," is how Lutz Albers, acoustic expert, describes the basics of his work. Going on to explain, "We point out the difference between the various types of building structures to our clients and offer them a total concept with various alternatives. The financial aspect is an issue not to be underestimated as the improvement of acoustics in an office environment can greatly influence the use of floor space."

"With the trend towards working teams and groups, many investors aim at reducing the office space needed for each individual employee. This causes a disproportionate rise in noise pollution and is contra productive to the expected job productivity," is the expert's opinion.

In order to create solutions, which satisfy both employer requirements and the needs of the employees, Haworth has developed glass and movable noise-absorbing walls as well as protective screens, which provide room structures with sound insulation and new, patented sound-absorbing furniture.

This novel type of sound proofing, based on a metal frame fitted on the sides and rear of the furnishings can, when used correctly, even replace the ceiling sound proofing. The absorbers achieve their maximum effect when the furniture is placed on the walls.

In addition to the new sound-absorbing furniture, Haworth offers a retrofit for existing wall units and sideboards. The metal casing is available in several colours allowing excellent integration into the existing office environment. "With the help of these new high-performance sound absorbers, we can reduce the noise levels in compact work areas for teams and groups down to the level of an office occupied by individual employees," says Lutz Albers, emphasising the advantages of the units.

Another aspect not to be forgotten: The use of acoustic elements creates an optical transparency as well as acoustic noise reduction. This in turn sets new standards in work motivation, teamwork and raises the general productivity of all employees. While the system allows a high level of flexibility in office workspace planning, any changes and modifications take less time and costs are relatively low when seen over a longer period of time, leading to a rise in value of the property.