As the world slowly begins to return to normality our thoughts turn to the previous everyday lives that we have missed over the past 12 months. Suddenly we are going back to work, our children are returning to schools, and non-essential shops are reopening. We can now enjoy team sports again and gyms allow us to get back to our previous fitness regimes without having to endure a nightly run around the block.

When it comes to employment many of us are contemplating complete career changes as our old jobs are no longer viable, and those of us who do work in offices are facing up to a whole new set of rules and regulations so that we can keep safe and hopefully say goodbye to the dastardly virus.

With the office in mind, keeping separate from our colleagues is paramount, so in this article, we are going to take a look at acoustic screens so that you know everything you need to know about them ready for your return to the office. If you are interested, then read on to find out more.

What is an acoustic office scream?

When we think about offices we think of the past when it was normal to work in open-plan offices, in blocks of decks facing each other where everyone was free to come and go as they pleased and there was a gentle hubbub throughout the office. Well, when you return to the office after the coronavirus pandemic things are likely to look somewhat different from how they did before. Acoustic screens are likely to take prominence. So what are they?

Effectively, they are free-standing, verticle panels that fit in between desks and offer visual and audio protection from neighboring colleagues. In crowded spaces, they can even be fitted to the desk rather than the floor allowing a greater number of people to work closer together, but with their own privacy maintained at all times. In the new coronavirus filled world, they serve a further purpose, and that is to act as a physical divider between people so that there is less chance of the virus spreading, which we all know is pretty important at the moment.

Are there different types?

There are many different types of acoustic screen available, depending on the set up of your office. The first type will free stand and will be able to be moved wherever it is needed in the office, so it is great for impromptu meetings where it isn’t practical to move actual desks.

A further type will be freestanding, but also curved, so that it bounces back any sound that is reflected off it to the originator of the sound. This makes it more difficult for sound waves to penetrate the rest of the room, keeping the noise to a minimum so that everyone can concentrate.

There are also types that are designed for the canteen, or for communal spaces so that people can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet when they are trying to relax, rather than constantly hearing an office murmur in the background.

What about pricing?

Acoustic screens come in all different shapes and sizes, so accordingly, the price will vary as well. As you can see here, desk mounted screens start off at our £150 whereas a free-standing curved screen could set you back nearer £300. If you are looking to fit screens to a block of desks, then you should be able to accomplish this for around £400 which is a great price when you think that you will be protected at least 4 different employees from not only noise in the office, but also any lingering remnants of the evil coronavirus.

Some will double up as a whiteboard so that you can have group brainstorming exercises in privacy, and the top of the range models will feature an unobtrusive design, incredible acoustic absorption, all for around £700, which is a snip when you consider the increased productivity your employees will have.

As we have learned, acoustic screens are a must for any office in the post coronavirus world. They are designed to block noise and so that employees can concentrate, and can either be free-standing or can be fitted to blocks of desks.

They also double up as shields so that all employees can work in peace, knowing that they are doing what they can to protect themselves from the virus. So, if you are thinking about how to improve efficiency in the office at the same time as wanting to keep the virus at bay, then an acoustic screen is for you.