A noisy office is not only irritating, it can affect your work performance, writes Peter Baker
Colleagues talking, telephones ringing, e-mails bleeping, photocopiers whirring: these everyday sounds make up an “acoustic wallpaper” in most offices -and one that can affect productivity and stress levels.
Noise impairs people’s ability to perform simple tasks such as remembering and arithmetic to the extent that their performance level is about a third of what it would be in quiet, says psychologist Dr Simon Banbury, co-author of new research by Reading University into the impact of noise on office work.
“It doesn’t take a great leap to believe that if simple tasks are affected, more complex tasks could be even more disrupted.”
The intensity of the noise is largely irrelevant. Variability is the key factor: most problems are caused by a random sequence of different tones or utterances – the steady hum of a fan, however loud, is likely to cause far less disruption than a half-overheard whispered conversation.
Banbury’s research found the effects of noise cannot be eliminated simply by trying hard to ignore it. There is no evidence that constant exposure enables workers eventually to achieve some sort of immunity.
Disruptive noise can also push up workers’ blood pressure. “Disruptive low-level noises are irritating, annoying and cause stress,” says Cary Cooper, a professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
He believes the effects are compounded by the pressures of modern working life.
“If you’re working long hours and you’re working hard, you’re much more predisposed to be irritated by noise,” he says.
Employers still believe open-plan offices offer easier communication and space efficiency, as well as lower overhead costs.
While some might accept that routine office noise can cause problems for a few individuals, most do not see it as an environmental hazard that could affect performance and well-being.
Office workers can also be exposed to high-decibel noise. The London Hazards Centre deals with complaints from workers in offices based in factories or near busy roads or airports, where office noise can exceed 85 decibels – the level at which physical damage starts to occur.
Office staff located near large air conditioning units can also suffer “infra-noise” – vibrations that some suspect can interfere with brain waves, cause a loss of concentration and even hallucinations.
Telephone workers are particularly at risk. Lawyer Adrian Fawden has dealt with 50 cases affecting members of the Communication Workers’ Union.
He says recent cases have been the result of people blowing whistles down the phone or fire alarms which automatically connect to an operator.
“With more people now working in call centres, this could be a growing problem; in fact, anyone who uses a headset is at risk.”
British Telecom has made strenuous efforts to eliminate the hazard and has accepted liability in 24 cases.
Acoustic shock is probably best prevented by telephone systems that filter out wide variations in pitch and volume.
In other offices, more common noise problems can be eased by thick carpeting, sound-absorbing construction materials, cabinets for printers, partitions between desks and phones that flash rather than ring.
Experiments with “noise perfuming” – using barely detectable “white noise” to mask other sounds – have not proved popular. In one office, staff believed the faint hiss was the ventilation system and started to complain that they were too cold.
Cooper believes open-plan offices should introduce rules about noise. No socialising near other people’s desks, for example.
“Hot-desking” – where staff do not have permanent desks – could provide a choice of working area. Report-writing could be completed in a secluded office where library-like rules apply.
Enabling more staff to work from home might also help, unless of course the neighbour’s children enjoy playing in the garden.
ENDS