ASTM is proposing a new standard to protect speech privacy and prevent noise distractions, known as WK47433. As a member of ASTM International, I was asked to vote on the proposed standard titled “Performance Specification of Electronic Sound Masking When Used in Building Spaces”, which was developed by Committee 33 on Building and Environmental Acoustics. The standard aims to “help keep sensitive conversations private” by keeping “sound that travels beyond the walls of a particular area, such as medical examination rooms and HR offices from being overheard by unintended listeners.” (See ASTM's press release here)
Hearing and Sound Masking
I know that the sound masking has been around since the 1960's – it was covered in my Architecture and Acoustics course! The concept of sound masking is designed based on the science of hearing and cognitive psychology. Hearing is based on vibrations of air entering your ear and causing your eardrum to vibrate. The human voice has a frequency range of 300 Hz to 3400 Hz, normal speech hovering around 2,000 Hz (cycles). A sound masking system distributes a broad band ambient sound. When the level of this sound is above the speech level going on in the space, the speech is covered or “masked” and becomes unintelligible.
Sound masking is critical in many commercial settings where there is a need to protect privacy or prevent noise distractions. For example, how often have you been distracted by background conversations when trying to have a conversation with someone at a call center or company help desk? Have you ever felt uncomfortable because you overheard a doctor/patient conversation while in the waiting room? What about when sound travels through thin walls, allowing a whole office to eavesdrop on a discussion had “behind closed doors”. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as HIPAA, has made privacy at medical insurance companies very important. Calls to banks and credit card centers also need this assistance to keep customers' confidential data private.
With the growing popularity of open-plan offices and shared work-space initiatives such as ShareDesk, the ability to make private human conversation has become more important. Shared, modern workspaces facilitate collaboration, but the open spaces and hard surfaces also amplify the distribution of speech. As a result, speech privacy is increasingly reported as a key concern in employee surveys. To address this issue in today's design and construction environment, ASTM's WK47433 aims to ensure better designed sound masking technologies.
Designing a Sound Solution
Acoustical design consultants are readily available in first and second tier metropolitan areas, as are contractors. Many contractors will offer to do design/build acoustic solutions and the choice depends on a client's personal preference. One design/build firm I came across had a long list of clients including Dell, General Electric, Bank of America, Humana, Costco, MIT and over 75 more corporations, showing the increasing demand for such services.
So back to ASTM's new standard on Performance Specification of Electronic Sound Masking When Used in Building Spaces. ASTM expects the primary users of WK47433 to be the people who create sound masking equipment, and the designers who apply them to architectural environments.
What do sound masking systems mean for corporate real estate, and should they be addressed as part of facility condition assessment? Mostly, these systems and the WK47433 standard are of relevance only to building users, and have little impact for the lender or property owner. The sound masking system is likely a tenant installed and owned item in the commercial space, and as a result attributes very little, if any, financial risk to a lender.
Perhaps, for an equity investor or property owner this may be of interest because of what the presence of a system says about the sophistication of the tenant. Being a tenant-installed system it is out of the scope of a property assessment and the sound generators are often hidden from site. That said, it is advisable to take into account a property's open spaces, acoustics and privacy concerns prior to investment and they affect the property's suitability for specific uses. As such, asking the consultant performing the Property or Facility Condition Assessment to inspect open spaces and to look out for the presence of sound masking systems is a good idea.
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S. Ira Grossman
Mr. Grossman has 40 years experience years of experience in architecture, construction and due diligence consulting throughout the United States. A respected veteran in the due diligence industry, Mr. Grossman has provided engineering and environmental services to major corporations both as an internal resource and as a third-party consultant.
