Assessment of personnel exposure to unfavourable acoustic environments in office space at concentration-demanding posts

This paper presents the results of soundscape studies in office space used for work demanding high concentration. It demonstrates that acoustic pressure measurements are not the only factor influencing soundscape perception. The subjective assessment of an office space soundscape is of equal importance to objective acoustic measurements. A subjective assessment does not always overlap with measured values, while a negative soundscape contributes to diminished concentration, decreased work efficiency and more frequent mistakes among personnel. An acoustic environment can be improved not exactly by reducing noise, but rather by changing the ambient sounds to such that are more beneficial for maintaining concentration and focus.