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Sound Barrier causing headaches?
TheUnsane1
PhiladelphiaRegistered User regular
PhiladelphiaRegistered User regular
So my office is in the early stages of a reconfiguration project and this morning I came to work to find a new sound in the office. Speaking to some coworkers I was informed that they installed a Sound proofing array of speakers that are now broadcasting a dull low white noise. Now most people in the office are having no issue filtering it out and are working productively. I on the other hand hear a constant sound similar to an untuned radio or television that is causing me great difficulty concentrating on tasks as well as (I believe) giving me a rather lovely headache. I really don't know how I am going to be able to work with this for the duration of this project, the sound is very jarring for me.
It should be noted I am almost never able to ignore background noise in general and hear and retain all sorts of sound information in busy and loud settings such as malls sporting events and crowded restraunts. I often retain information from conversations of people all around me with out actively trying.
Also I would note that headphones are not permitted in my workplace after some people were not answering phones due to using them.
TL: DR= Active noise canceling for construction project in my office is making me want to kill myself what do I do?
It should be noted I am almost never able to ignore background noise in general and hear and retain all sorts of sound information in busy and loud settings such as malls sporting events and crowded restraunts. I often retain information from conversations of people all around me with out actively trying.
Also I would note that headphones are not permitted in my workplace after some people were not answering phones due to using them.
TL: DR= Active noise canceling for construction project in my office is making me want to kill myself what do I do?
TheUnsane1 on
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I agree with talking to your boss - I'm typing this out with a headache of my own, and can't even fathom being productive with both the headache and the white noise.
Depending on your job you may even be allowed to work from home, which would no doubt be fantastic. The aforementioned headphones sound like an option too =p
As for working from home that can't be done since I am at a support level that has me working as sort of the hub between my unit and supervision.
I honestly don't understand the need for them to be on constantly as there is no construction during work hours currently.
Interestingly on friday my headache was completely gone 20 minutes after leaving the office.
Googling white noise did show some results that stated it can cause headaches and trouble focusing. I will have to speak with my supervisor again to see if any sollution can be found for this. Another concern I have is some of the office feels this may be a permanent change that is part of the project and will continue to be on after it is completed, which would likely force me to look for another job as working in an environment that gives me 6+ hr headaches daily seems like a bad idea to me.
If it's anything like my headphones, and like me, you can't adjust, there's got to be some kind of legal recourse, or worker's rights or something. I'd argue it makes an impossible work environment.
It's to filter office noise while a reconfiguration takes place. SUPPOSEDLY it also is useful to cut down cross chatter you can hear from other people in the office but since I can still hear people upwards of 4 desks away from me on the phone with the white noise it isn't doing much of that.
Also the headphones I have are passive noise reducing due to them being deep fitting earbuds active noise reduction headphones are more like active headache creating headphones for me.
or show up to the office wearing shooting or jack hammer ear protectors. And don't take them off even if people are talking to you
If your supervisor is blowing you off, then you need to go straight to the HR person at your company.
This is impacting your ability to work and if your supervisor is treating it like a joke then the HR people need to know there is a real problem.
It likely wouldn't be so bad if I couldn't hear and isolate different speakers where the noise is slightly differing from the other. It's great to pick up all the normal office noise as well as 4-6 different white noise speakers at varied levels....
You sound like you're taking the right course of action though.
So it is quite possible that you have a sensitivity to it. I used to be a noise scientist along with studying air quality, and it's well documented that people have varying sensitivities, both physical and psychological, to different types of noise.
Like TheUnsane1, I've complained to building management and was told the white noise was a "feature." I tried explaining that a "feature" shouldn't give me migraines. They turned the speaker off directly above my cubicle, but the rest of the speakers in the building are still on, so there is no escape from the noise.
I looked into OSHA and noise, and alas, they're not terribly useful. :-(