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The Benefits of Sound Masking: Part 3

November 9, 2011 By

The Benefits of Sound Masking: More Productivity, More Privacy

I frequently talk about the benefits of sound masking in general, namely that this practice blocks distractions and provides speech privacy.  These are extremely important benefits for open offices, hospitals, government offices, and military bases because workers and staff can be more productive {ie less distracted} and enjoy more confidentiality.    It is a well-studies fact that office noise contributes to workers’ levels of stress, error rates, and even levels of absenteeism.  These workers are more stressed, more prone to making mistake,s less likely to problem-solve, less likely to make ergonomic adjustments to their work stations, and turn over more quickly than workers in quieter offices.  Additionally, loud offices or headquarters or bases are not private.  Conversations can be easily overheard, leading to an economic or safety disadvantage.  All of this revolves around noise and noise leaks in the work place.  That is were sound masking comes in to play.  The introduction of low-level white noise into a treated area or several zones allows workers’ conversations and noisiness in general to be covered, or masked, so that fewer people are bothered by it or privy to it.  However, what kind of white noise should be used?  How loud should it be?  Isn’t adding noise to noise counter-productive?  Do I need a sound machine or a sound masking system?  How can I mask sound without making too much noise?  Can I have paging, too?

In the next few posts, I am going to answer these questions with regard to the superior sound masking capabilities of the VoiceArrest System.

When to Use a Sound Machine & When to Choose a Sound Masking System

We’ve talked about white noise, how it’s used for sound masking, and why speaker placement is so crucial in an effective sound masking system.  Now I’d like to talk about when to use a sound machine versus when to use a system.

Sound Machines

Sound machines are great for individual use.  Sound machines are especially helpful for frustrated workers in loud cubicles or with noisy co-workers.  They are also helpful as sleep aides for adults and children alike.  The main thing to know is that sound machines are most effective for individuals in small spaces.  They do not cover large areas or help entire offices, unless everyone has one.  However, for a cubicle, a bedroom, or a hotel room, a sound machine is a fantastic resource.

Sound Masking

In contrast, sound masking is more suitable for larger areas and more people.  By its design, sound masking systems deliver uniform, consistent speech privacy for entire offices through the gentle whooshing of white noise in speakers strategically placed in the ceiling tiles.  This kind of sound masking is ideal for noisy offices, medical facilities, government agencies, and military groups because it is effective in in reducing distractions, thus improving productivity, as well as achieving confidential privacy.  Thus, it’s more than a personal noise solution- an entire office or agency can benefit.

Sound machines are effective for individuals, while sound masking systems are more suitable for larger noise problems.

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The Advantage of Sound Masking & the VoiceArrest System

November 2, 2011 By

The Benefits of Sound Masking: More Productivity, More Privacy

I frequently talk about the benefits of sound masking in general, namely that this practice blocks distractions and provides speech privacy.  These are extremely important benefits for open offices, hospitals, government offices, and military bases because workers and staff can be more productive {ie less distracted} and enjoy more confidentiality.    It is a well-studies fact that office noise contributes to workers’ levels of stress, error rates, and even levels of absenteeism.  These workers are more stressed, more prone to making mistake,s less likely to problem-solve, less likely to make ergonomic adjustments to their work stations, and turn over more quickly than workers in quieter offices.  Additionally, loud offices or headquarters or bases are not private.  Conversations can be easily overheard, leading to an economic or safety disadvantage.  All of this revolves around noise and noise leaks in the work place.  That is were sound masking comes in to play.  The introduction of low-level white noise into a treated area or several zones allows workers’ conversations and noisiness in general to be covered, or masked, so that fewer people are bothered by it or privy to it.  However, what kind of white noise should be used?  How loud should it be?  Isn’t adding noise to noise counter-productive?  Do I need a sound machine or a sound masking system?  How can I mask sound without making too much noise?  Can I have paging, too?

In the next few posts, I am going to answer these questions with regard to the superior sound masking capabilities of the VoiceArrest System.

White Noise: What Is It & How Does It Work?

First, a quick definition: white noise is a term to describe sound combined from all points on the sound spectrum. The idea is that this range of sound, even at a relatively low volume, is effective in covering unwanted sounds because its very nature of containing so many different sounds doesn’t allow the brain to process or tune into in any one specific sound.

Next, as touched upon briefly, the sound masking system does not need to be cranked up to be effective.  In fact, the VoiceArrest System can operate at lower volume levels than competitive systems and still provide effective voice masking and privacy. In practical terms, most masking systems must operate at 48 to 51 decibels of sound in order to provide acceptable privacy for most of the office space. The VoiceArrest™ system, however, is normally operated at 45 decibels under the same conditions. The increased effectiveness of the VoiceArrest™ Sound Masking System provides for equivalent privacy and quieter, background sound. Or if you require even higher levels of privacy than most offices, you can utilize the higher settings without increasing the noise to an intrusive level.

Sound masking systems like the VoiceArrest™  deliver spacial and spectral uniformity of sound, operating at lower levels than competitive systems and still providing effective sound masking and privacy.

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White Noise Restores Energy at Work

October 18, 2011 By

Do you often feel completely drained before you reach the end of the day and struggle to finish your work on time? While you should look into medical reasons for low energy, sometimes the culprit is hidden in plain sight. Try these tips to reduce the amount of energy that is wasted by normally office situations and recover some of your lost productivity.

Try Using White Noise – It takes a great deal of energy and effort to concentrate in the midst of distractions and noise.  Most people lose up to two hours a day from interruptions and distractions at work. But a personal sound machine can help by covering unrelated conversations and surrounding office noise. Better yet would be office-wide sound masking that would benefit everyone. This will allow you to work with focused energy.

Limit Your Energy-Draining Tasks. Are you aware of specific tasks or certain people who drain you of energy and motivation faster than your normal work? Be deliberate about how you approach these tasks or people in your work day. Find the least stressful time of day for you, when you are not hungry or especially tired, and spend only 10 or 15 minutes dealing with this work.

Upgrade to Ergonomic Tools.  Ergonomic products are specifically designed to encourage a natural,  ergonomic posture where your muscles are at their lowest strain and and work is minimized. Start with a supportive, ergonomic chair that helps maintain good posture for long periods of time. With any chair, make sure your back has good support;  try adding portable lumbar support if your chair doesn’t provide enough.

Drink More Water.  If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Because our bodies and brains are made up largely of water; even slight dehydration of less than 5% decreases our energy and productivity by more than 20%. A good place to start is with the general rule of daily drinking at least eight glasses of water.

Everyday we are bombarded with  distractions, interruptions and physical discomfort that quickly, and unnecessarily,  drains our energy and breaks our concentration. Consider using white noise to cover the office noise that continually interrupts you. And upgrade to a good ergonomic chair to improve your posture and relieve some of the energy-draining pain. Adjusting your office environment and habits can make a huge impact on your energy and productivity.

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Why Sound Masking Works

October 3, 2011 By

Distractions are everywhere- just google it and see how many thousands of results you get.  Even if you don’t want to be distracted, there is usually some office shenanigan that pulls your attention away from work, despite your best efforts to stay focused.  across the board, the average worker loses two hours of productive work each day due to distraction.   And these distractions cost companies around $600 billion annually.  As a result, businesses and managers nation wide are doing their best to counteract these incredibly costly distractions.  A common theme has been office-wide sound masking systems.

What is sound masking?

Simply put, sound masking is the use of white noise to increase speech privacy. It sounds like an air conditioner running, only it doesn’t start and stop a million times a day.  Rather, it’s consistent, steady, uniformly distributed hum acts as a barrier to other sounds, those that are much more distracting and troublesome.  This raises the question why white noise is better than typical office noise?  An easy way to explain that is to imagine how irritating an oncoming car’s bright lights are when not turned off at night.  However, imagine those same lights on during the day- you may still notice them, but they certainly aren’t dazzling or blinding.  The same thing is true in the office.  Loud noises can be almost muted with the use of consistent sound (like bright lights losing their luster during the day).

Why use sound masking?

This technology is used all over the U.S. to improve privacy and productivity – at government agencies, medical facilities and standard office buildings. Sound masking has incredible advantages for any office setting, and especially in open floor plans with cubicles. Here are some of the top benefits:

  • Less distraction at work: By masking conversations and excess noise, the average worker can be up to 25% more productive with their work hours. Sound masking installed in the entire office space will benefit the entire office.
  • Improved privacy and confidentiality: Many office situations need confidentiality – human resources, government services, medical facilities, counseling, and many more. Sound masking significantly improves privacy and confidentiality throughout an entire office. It uses white noise to make human speech unintelligible to those beyond the immediate conversation.
  • Decreased stress for workers: Most of us are not aware of the stress we experience from trying to block excess noise around us. Think about trying to write an important email, or work through a complicated problem, all the while there is a noise, maybe a conversation or a horn honking, that is trying to gain your attention.  According to a study by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), even a small acoustic treatment can reduce worker stress by more than 25%.

The appropriate use of white noise in a work place, even on an individual scale, can lower stress and increase concentration by masking background conversations and noise. Quality office-wide, sound masking provides effective privacy and confidentiality, while decreasing office distractions.

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Tips and Tools to Boost Productivity

September 30, 2011 By

How much time do you lose each day as a result of your office space? Most people find they lose two hours or even more each day due to lack of focus, distractions, and interruptions at work. Here are some practical tips and tools to help reduce distractions and boost your productivity at work.

Block out distractions. Try covering the office noises and distractions with white noise. Today’s sound masking technology is specially focused on the frequency of human speech, so it effectively covers unrelated converations, lowering your distractions by up to 51 percent. Even if you have no control over the sound quality or co-workers around you, a personal sound machine can create a distraction-free zone at your desk.

Set your priorities. Always start your day with your high-priority work; don’t even open email or pick up your phone until you complete at least one important task. For better productivity, you can’t allow lesser tasks like e-mail or phone calls take up more time than they warrant. Accomplishing something at the very start of the day can help boost your confidence and improve your attitude about your work day.

Improve your posture. Poor posture can actually drain your energy and limit your ability to focus. The goal should be to maintain a neutral typing posture in order to minimize the work load for your muscles and stop you from wasting valuable energy. Start with a well-adjusted ergonomic chair to help you maintain good posture; this will give you better concentration and will also lower your stress levels. Next, make sure your feet rest firmly on the ground and that your armrests are out of the way. Also, if your chair is somewhat lacking in back support, try adding portable lumbar support.

Limit your interruptions. The average worker is interrupted more than 70 times each day, and half of those distractions are self-inflicted. Set up a “no-interruption” time to focus on your work for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Turn off all your self-distractions, like your phone and e-mail, and turn on a white noise machine to block office noise around you. Find an alternate place to work, such as an empty conference room, or consider hanging a sign at desk requesting that you be interrupted, but will be available in 30 minutes.

You can learn to accomplish more during a work day by eliminating distractions. Start by maintaining good posture with a supportive ergonomic chair. Next, decrease the time-consuming distractions with a white noise machine. At the end of the day you will feel less stressed, more productive and ready to enjoy a relaxing evening.

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Sound Masking: as explained in an airplane

September 22, 2011 By

Sound Masking

Many people know what sound masking is, but there are just as many who don’t.  In case you fall into the latter category, I’d love to share an easy to understand explanation of sound masking.

First, sound masking is based on the idea that unwanted noise can be masked, or covered.  It would be easy enough to drown out unwanted sounds with really loud noise, but that only makes the problem worse- you now have a really loud unwanted noise that covers a quieter unwanted noise.

The Usefulness of White Noise

Thus, instead of killing everyone’s ears, sound masking employs white noise.  White noise is the combination of sound from all points on the sound spectrum.  It can sound like a quiet fan, a water fall, an ocean, or just an air conditioning hum.  The result is that this low-level {ie quiet} white noise is enough to cover distracting, or unwanted sounds because it causes the brain not to focus on any one particular sound.

Case in point: I ran across an excerpt on one of my friend’s blogs that captured so many airplane-related travel issues so well, including how parents count on the engine sound, or white noise, to help their babies sleep.

As I approached my seat, which incidentally was supposed to be the window seat, I was greeted by two wide-eyed and frantic-looking parents trying to console their fussing 7 month-old. The mother was attempting to breastfeed her overtired baby while the father looked on in ineffective desperation. With a deer-in-the-headlights expression he said, “Do you mind if we stay where we are?” I told him it was fine and a few minutes later leaned over to reassure him that I had three small children and the crying didn’t bother me. He relaxed slightly explaining that this was their daughter’s first flight (I tried to suppress the look of “no kidding?” that fought to flicker over my face) and tried to encourage him that his baby would fall asleep as soon as we got up into the air, lulled to sleep by the noise of the engine. After all, I’ve been through it a couple of times. He nodded eagerly and said that they were hoping that would happen as this was when their daughter was usually asleep.

Sure enough. As soon as we disembarked and were airborne, the baby fell peacefully asleep and stayed that way the entire flight to Atlanta.

Business Applications

In this case, the white noise was rather loud, an airplane engine.  However, the idea is the same- the noise usually causes a nice lull in other sounds so people can sleep better.

Sound masking that uses low-level white noise has many applications, not the least of which is sleep induction.   In the case of businesses, however, sound masking can be used both to reduce distractions and provide speech privacy when confidentiality is required.  The result is that workers can be more productive because they’re less distracted and also more private in their business dealings when necessary.

Thus, if your office suffers from being too loud or too public, sound masking can  reduce distractions and provide confidentiality.

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Sound Masking for Airports

August 11, 2011 By

The Woes of Long Lay-Overs

Flying can be brutal, especially if you cross time zones.  Besides a long flight, your body bears the weight of a new time your mind just isn’t adjusted to.  You know it’s important to sleep, but sleeping at the right times, and on an airplane or even worse in an airport between connections, can be impossible.

Interestingly, many people find it quite a bit easier to fall asleep and stay asleep on an airplane than in an airport.  There are several reasons for that- first, they’re actually on the pane, which makes it easier to relax for the duration of the flight.  Secondly, airplane engines provide white noise that drowns out passenger chatter and baby screams. This begs the question: how can airports be made more hospitable for longer lay-overs?

2 Ways to Sleep Better in an Airport

So, a couple thoughts for improvement so people (and especially children) can rest better.

  1. Make sure you wear a watch that you can easily change the time on.  There’s no point in falling asleep in an airport and missing your flight because you didn’t realize the time had changed.  Thus, go ahead and change the time to local time and set an alarm that you can count on!  If you know you’ll wake up, you’ll be able to fall asleep, not worried about missing your flight. (Tip: some airports provide cribs for small children.)
  2. Secondly, noise is still a problem for most airports.  A little sound masking would go a long way in covering the noise of children who are waking up or having trouble going down in the first place, not to mention general airport buzz.  If you could just tune out everything and everyone around you, you could sleep more soundly and therefore be more alert upon arrival.

I think by covering your own bases with time control and the aid of sound masking, we could all enjoy our longer lay-overs a little more.  Plus, from the airport side, wouldn’t you like to be the airport mothers make sure to fly through?

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Sound Masking Can Improve Productivity

June 29, 2011 By

How much time do you lose each day as a result of your office space? Most people are overwhelmed with distractions and interruptions at work, especially in an open office plan. These distractions make it hard to concentrate, waste time and energy and create feelings of stress at work. Here are some practical ideas to help reduce distractions and increase productivity.

Prioritize your day. Always start immediately on a high-priority task, before checking e-mail or phone messages. This ensures that your priority projects are accomplished while you are fresh and focused, no matter what fires or interruptions come later in the day.

Use white noise. Today’s sound masking technology is very precise and uses “white” noise that is specially focused on the frequency of human speech. Office-wide sound masking can lower distractions by up to 51 percent; it effectively covers excess conversations and office noise that are always present in an open floor plan. If you have no control over the office space around you, you can still use a personal sound machine to create a distraction-free zone at your desk.

Sit up Straight! Most people do not realized how much energy they waste with poor posture/. Try to maintain a neutral typing posture while sitting at your computer. In this position your muscles are almost completely relaxed. Consider upgrading to an ergonomic chair that encourages good posture, and is correctly adjusted specifically for you. In any chair, your feet sit firmly on the ground to support your back; you can also add portable lumbar support if your backrest is not sufficient.

Limit distractions and interruptions. The average worker is interrupted more than 70 times each day, and half of those distractions are self-inflicted. Set up a “no-interruption” time to focus on one important task for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Turn off all your self-distractions, like your phone and e-mail, and turn on a white noise machine to block office noise around you. Consider hanging a sign indicating that you currently cannot be interrupted, and a time when you will next be available.

Increasing your productivity and efficiency can lower your stress and help you complete your work by the end of the day. Start by maintaining good posture with a supportive ergonomic chair. Next, decrease the time-consuming distractions with a white noise machine. Or even better, upgrade your office space with sound masking technology to benefit the entire office. Better focus and productivity at work help you feel better about your work and enjoy less stress at the end of the day.

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5 Ways to Use White Noise

May 19, 2011 By

We so often speak of sound masking and how effective it is in reducing distractions and improving speech privacy.  Its effectiveness is achieved through the use of white noise through ceiling tiles or use of a sound machine.  Be it professional or personal, here are a few of the ways you can utilize white noise in your daily life.

5 Ways to Use White Noise

1. For work. Since the average worker loses two hours of work time every day because of distractions. Office chatter and ringing phones are very distracting and, therefore, significantly lower your productivity. A sound machine at your desk can help you tune out these distractions. Better yet, sound masking throughout the office space can provide this benefit to the entire office.

2. For sleep. Do you ever have trouble falling (or staying) asleep because of annoying sounds? Be it street noise, the neighbor’s dog, or a hooting owl, night time noise can really mess up a good night’s sleep.  Using a sound machine while sleeping (and even trying to fall asleep) will mask the annoying sounds from neighbors or street noise, helping you sleep better with fewer interruptions.

3. For kids. Sound machines can work wonders with kid’s sensitive sleep schedules. Maybe your children are sharing a room for the first time, or you want them to easily sleep through the noise of your dinner party. White noise can ensure good, uninterrupted sleep for your little ones, which means better sleep for you, too.

4. For relaxation. Sometimes, white noise is a great way to tune out life.  After a long day at work, a sound machine can help you relax and unwind, regardless of whatever noises assail you.  Enjoy the sound of the sea as you sit down to read a good book.

5. For tinnitus. Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus can be very distracting and uncomfortable. The irritation caused by tinnitus can be lessened though the use of sound therapy, letting you relax, and not suffer the pain.

Personal white noise provides a more focused environment, free of intrusive and distracting noise. This can increase your productivity at work, or provide you with a more restful night’s sleep. Sound masking can also be utilized throughout a open office space to provide better productivity and confidentiality for everyone. Try sound masking for yourself, and begin enjoying the benefits of improved concentration and better sleep!

 

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Sound Masking for Hotels

May 12, 2011 By

Globe-Trotting

It's nb fun to spend money on a vacation only to be bombarded with noise.

My husband and I have the privilege of living overseas for a few years, which means we are within hours of Europe by plane.  As such, we try to travel as much as possible, with or without our kids {though we normally do have them with us}.  We’ve been all over Scotland, to London, to Germany, and to Paris.  Now we’re planning trips to Ireland and then to Rome.  We chose Rome for our 10-year anniversary trip for which we will get to travel without our children.  We’re in the process of booking a hotel or Bed and Breakfast and have many from which to choose.  What has been interesting is how important guest reviews are to us.  Having never been to Rome, it’s difficult to choose based on pictures alone.  Thus, we have been pouring over all the guest reviews.  While many of the hotels and B&Bs have great views of even the Vatican, many have poor reviews for sound of all things.  From leaky pipes to close quarters with other guests to street noise, many, many guests complained of poor sleep and a less than desirable trip, even though the accommodations were otherwise very good.

Lots of Noise=Bad Reviews

Thus, as my husband and I look for the right spot to vacation, we, too, take into account  the fact that no holiday is good if ruined by poor sleep.  Noise is a problem for us- we’re not brining our own children and would love not to hear other people’s kids, their midnight bathroom trips, or inevitable street noise.  A simple solution is sound masking.  Sound masking is the use of white noise to cover unwanted noise so that people in treated areas are less distracted.  For businesses, it usually means a sound masking system employed in loud areas for the benefit of workers so they can be more productive and less stressed.  For a hotel or B&B, it would probably mean supplying a sound machine for guests who want one.  Either way {in-ceiling system or personal sound machine}, low-level, adjustable structured sound covers, or masks, intrusive noise.

Had any of the reviewed hotels or B&Bs opted for sound masking by way of a sound machine, their guests would have reported more favorably and we would have considered their accommodations more seriously.  As it is, we’re choosing a more remote B&B and packing our own sound machine in the hope of avoiding disturbed sleep.

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