Which acoustic office screens ? This is a question that are asking all those who work in a collective office i.e. a partitioned volume usually hosting from 2 to 5 people or, a fortiori, in an open space (open plan office) i.e. a space in which it is planned to host a large number of people without complete separation between workstations and are hindered by noise emissions related to the professional activity of their colleagues: telephone ringing, telephone conversations, even small-group discussions (and even when efforts are made to do not raise one’s voice too much).
Because what concentration is possible then for tasks (administrative, call center, design office or design) that require a sound environment being sufficiently quiet when what is said in the near desk interferes with a conversation that one is trying to establish at one’s workstation or compromises a crucial moment of reflection that may be necessary even if only to re-read an email before sending it or checking a mathematical operation ?
And what discretion / confidentiality or even intelligibility is there then in the exchanges with other people (being part of the staff of the company or not, eg when it comes to customers or suppliers) ?
In many situations where nothing is done to limit the spread of noise, the quality of the work done in an office suffers from this, and of course the employees' appreciation of their working conditions, despite their efforts to do well.
First, acoustic office screens must oppose the transmission of noise through the physical separation they allow. To do this, their packing must have a sufficient density (10 kg/m2 is appropriate in many cases): it is necessary to consider a high density product when it comes to glass wool (what is usual).
Then, acoustic office screens shall allow to absorb sounds at frequencies corresponding to human speech (especially 500-2000 Hz to mention central frequencies of octave bands), what is illustrated by a sound absorption coefficient of the lining as close to 1 (i.e. 100%) as possible (the absorption class is evaluated from the practical absorption coefficient αp, which is a usual indicator); they then participate in controlling the reverberation of the workspace, what is a fundamental aspect of any soundproofing project in a building. This property should be considered with cover (a durable, easy-to-clean fabric, whose shade can be chosen from a color chart to match the rest of the decoration is often what customers are looking for in such a case).
Finally, acoustic office screens must be in a form compatible with their implementation on a desk (to which they can be easily attached) or allowing their installation on the floor (on legs or on wheels); glass parts (not too much !) can be provided when needed.
ITS sells acoustic office screens being high performing and decorative; modular, they can accompany lay-out changes often in vogue in modern workspaces.
In addition to reducing the reverberation of sounds and limiting the spread of noise between workstations, acoustic office screens can be used to confine a noisy photocopier, a plotter or any other source of unwanted noise.
These same soundproofing equipment can be used to create a discussion area, a relaxation area, or to separate tables in a company restaurant.