Sound Masking: Increasing Office Security and Improving Employee Wellness

Office noises can disrupt work productivity because workers may become easily distracted. Some may suggest soundproofing to resolve the issue, but this can be equally distracting and uncomfortable to work in. On the other hand, sound masking can increase work productivity while improving security and privacy.

How Sound Works

Most think of sound as background noise that can be distracting no matter what type of area you are in. However, the layout of the space plays a key role in how sound travels through it.

Office spaces, for example, used to be partitioned into cubicles with freestanding carpeted walls. These walls not only created visual barriers to help employees focus, but the carpet helped absorb sound, so conversations didn’t travel as far, making them both less distracting and more confidential.

Today, with the introduction of open floor plans and the desire for minimalism with concrete and glass surfaces, much of the inherent soundproofing in office workplaces is lost. Even in offices that still use cubicle walls, if the partitions don’t reach the ceiling, the noise of a moderately toned conversation can be heard up to 45 feet away. 

Adding Sound Masking

Put simply, sound masking is a system that introduces unobtrusive broadband noise to reduce distractions and increase privacy and productivity in the workplace. 

Of course, adding more noise to reduce the existing noise may seem counterintuitive. However, because the sounds distributed from these masking systems are non-informational, the human brain can subconsciously subtract it out and ignore it completely. Sound masking plays across the audible spectrum. This means it can effectively cancel out the tones of human speech and other white or pink noise that may distract employees.

Benefits of Sound Masking in the Workplace

Once sound masking has been integrated into the space, studies have shown that the disruptive radius was reduced to 15 feet. Outside this radius, workers were able to ignore conservations because they became unintelligible, allowing them to work distraction-free.

But it isn’t just offices that benefit from sound masking. Sound masking helps keep sensitive and classified information more secure. Government and hospital workers enjoy the increased security and peace of mind of knowing their conversations are kept confidential. 

Conclusion

Noise in the workplace isn’t just distracting; it can destroy confidentiality. While soundproofing can provide security, silence can be equally distracting. Sound masking, on the other hand, increases both security and productivity by adding non-contextual noise into the space to cancel out sound, including the human voice. With the addition of sound masking systems, workplaces can become more secure, productive, and pleasant to work in.