Strategies for Conquering Workplace Acoustical Issues
Sound absorption is a key element of workplace acoustics. The ceiling can play a big role here—baffles, stretched fabric, cellulose spray and even acoustic light panels can be great solutions. Courtesy of NELSON Worldwide. Admit it: we’ve been spoiled. While it had its obvious challenges, working from home lowered (or perhaps raised?) our tolerance for noise. And if it did raise it, that’s not necessarily a good thing. “Hearing health conservation has become a really big theme in one of our latest beta features in the WELL rating system that focuses on audiology tests and how your employees’ hearing health is potentially deteriorating over time and how to manage that,” explained Ethan Bourdeau, sound concept lead at the International WELL Building Institute—where acoustics has been an integral part of achieving the WELL standard as early as version 1 of the program. While the concern is already regulated by OSHA for the industrial sector, it’s quickly...