Worked banned radios today.

Mothyman

..i work in an mp3 and radio shop.....what can I say?

geoff_ss

So what's bad about that? Sounds like heaven to me. I'm retired now but working in a lab/office trying to write software and design hardware with music blasting out all day would have been my idea of hell. Particularly if it was someone else's choice of music.

Why do people need to cut out the real world so much?

Geoff

a_n_t

just wear a hi-viz, sorted!

White Line

You work for the UCI?

beatsystem

If you dont like get another job,plenty would be grateful for yours.

hopper1

beatsystem wrote:

If you dont like get another job,plenty would be grateful for yours.

That's a dinosaur attitude, if ever I heard one...

martinwitnam

So lets get this right.
By using loud music you are trying to drown out the sound of machinery working.
That's the same as using loud music to drown out the sound of the cars on the road while cycling. Sounds dangerous to me.

Pross

There's been a big thing recently from the PRS (I think) chasing companies that allow music in work for royalty payments. Apparently you need a special license with different types for different workplaces.

beatsystem

whats dinosaur about it, seems fair enough. Management lay down rules for acceptable behaviour if you dont like them you leave. Seems to me you would be better getting the union to get sound proofing fitted to your office, there are sound proof "floating" rooms for this purpose. I see a lot of young people walking around the university where i work as a recording engineer damaging their ears by listening to loud mp3 players all day long to block out the sound of the world.

STEFANOS4784

:roll:

hammerite

Totally different environment to yours, as we're all entirely office based with no loud machinery or fork lift trucks. But I was thinking about this today....... There's a lot of people here who seem to block themselves from what is happening in the rest of the office by wearing headphones listening to music all day, either on their MP3 players or with Spotify on. The justification is that they need to concentrate.

I'm not able to listen to music, because I spend a lot of the time on the phone, but I wouldn't do it anyway, I think it's unsociable. But it gets really annoying when you need to talk to a colleague and they can't hear you trying to get their attention because they're listening to music.

Anyway, that's my rant over. :oops:

bigflangesmallsprocket

I've worked in some quite noisy environments, including where machinery and forklifts compete for attention. I assume that you're supplied with and encouraged to wear ear protectors. As such, to have the radio playing loud enough to drown out these noises would mean quite a din. From the companies point of view I can see two health and safety arguments right there: there's the obvious risk to hearing from long term exposure to excessive noise, and hearing loss is permanent; then there's that argument about the forklift, and while I agree that in most circumstances people would have their wits about them enough to keep an eye open, you only need to be absentminded once to get run over, whereas hearing that forklift grunting and groaning might make all the difference. Even if an employer was genuinely trying to improve the workplace atmosphere when playing music, it would only take one employee going for maximum compensation to cost the firm a big hike in insurance premiums.

If you really want to listen to music then ask if you can have your iplod on under your ear protectors, at least it's only your ears you're damaging then!

SteppenHerring

hammerite wrote:

Totally different environment to yours, as we're all entirely office based with no loud machinery or fork lift trucks. But I was thinking about this today....... There's a lot of people here who seem to block themselves from what is happening in the rest of the office by wearing headphones listening to music all day, either on their MP3 players or with Spotify on. The justification is that they need to concentrate.

I'm not able to listen to music, because I spend a lot of the time on the phone, but I wouldn't do it anyway, I think it's unsociable. But it gets really annoying when you need to talk to a colleague and they can't hear you trying to get their attention because they're listening to music.:

So, you're on the phone all the time and then you're trying to interrupt people who are trying to concentrate? And you wonder why they wear headphones? You're not at work to be "sociable".

Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but I work in software development and I do have to concentrate. I hate open plan offices and I don't want to listen to some idiot yammering on about Big Brother or the latest plebwarblefest on the TV when I'm trying to solve complex problems.

Pross

So, you're on the phone all the time and then you're trying to interrupt people who are trying to concentrate? And you wonder why they wear headphones? You're not at work to be "sociable".

I take it you've never tried asking a work colleague a (work related) question, think their ignoring you only to find they've got their ears plugged in? The whole "wearing them to concentrate" is just an excuse used for listening to music when you supposed to revise at school isn't it?

ride_whenever

in the labs we have two rules, in the dirty areas only radios with no headphones which is nice.

In the write up areas it is headphones early, unless you are the only person there as there needs to be someone to hear if there is an incident in the lab.

Bhima

Pross wrote:

There's been a big thing recently from the PRS (I think) chasing companies that allow music in work for royalty payments. Apparently you need a special license with different types for different workplaces.

Only applies if the music is being played in a public place. The term "public" is very open to interpretation though.

Porgy

hammerite wrote:

Totally different environment to yours, as we're all entirely office based with no loud machinery or fork lift trucks. But I was thinking about this today....... There's a lot of people here who seem to block themselves from what is happening in the rest of the office by wearing headphones listening to music all day, either on their MP3 players or with Spotify on. The justification is that they need to concentrate.

I'm not able to listen to music, because I spend a lot of the time on the phone, but I wouldn't do it anyway, I think it's unsociable. But it gets really annoying when you need to talk to a colleague and they can't hear you trying to get their attention because they're listening to music.

Anyway, that's my rant over. :oops:

I do it because i seem to be increasingly noise intolerent these days - office noise causes me quite serious stress and i end up not being able to get anything done, and then staying late and working till 8/9 when the office is empty. Not ideal!

so blocking out offcie sounds is essential for me however anti-social it may seem. Besides I'm naturally anti-social and people seemt to realsie this after knowing me for a short time - I'm autistic and don't communicate well face to face.

I've only been in an large open plan office a few months - was based in small offices before that and cannot believe the noise people are willing to put up with - or consider is reasonable to make in a working environment.

right now I've got foam ear plugs in to keep the levels down, and have actually managed to get some decent work done this afternoon.

fto-si

Bhima wrote:

Pross wrote:

There's been a big thing recently from the PRS (I think) chasing companies that allow music in work for royalty payments. Apparently you need a special license with different types for different workplaces.

Only applies if the music is being played in a public place. The term "public" is very open to interpretation though.

I think you will find that offices/shops/workshops etc are classed as public places in this instance and a PRS ' licence' is required.

Stewie Griffin

The most distracting noise in our office is the noise from peoples headphones. Drives me nuts :evil:

Stone Glider

Don't you have "Workers Playtime" broadcast over the Tannoy?

But then again, I have been out of work quite a long time........

Porgy

Stewie Griffin wrote:

The most distracting noise in our office is the noise from peoples headphones. Drives me nuts :evil:

I ended up wearing headphones on public transport just to block out other peoples' - but tbh in my office - people keep them pretty much turned down, no need to be loud if you've got noise suppressing head phones.

My strategy this week though has been just to stick in a pair of foam ear plugs - seems to work pretty well - don;t see how i can annoy anyone doing that.

Stewie Griffin

Porgy wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

The most distracting noise in our office is the noise from peoples headphones. Drives me nuts :evil:

I ended up wearing headphones on public transport just to block out other peoples' - but tbh in my office - people keep them pretty much turned down, no need to be loud if you've got noise suppressing head phones.

My strategy this week though has been just to stick in a pair of foam ear plugs - seems to work pretty well - don;t see how i can annoy anyone doing that.

If you cant beat them join them, I hate apple, who else makes a decent mp3 player?

Porgy

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Porgy wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

The most distracting noise in our office is the noise from peoples headphones. Drives me nuts :evil:

I ended up wearing headphones on public transport just to block out other peoples' - but tbh in my office - people keep them pretty much turned down, no need to be loud if you've got noise suppressing head phones.

My strategy this week though has been just to stick in a pair of foam ear plugs - seems to work pretty well - don;t see how i can annoy anyone doing that.

If you cant beat them join them, I hate apple, who else makes a decent mp3 player?

I've got a Creative Zen Nano Plus and a Creative Zen Mosaic - both very good...no problems at all.

Stewie Griffin

Porgy wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Porgy wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

The most distracting noise in our office is the noise from peoples headphones. Drives me nuts :evil:

I ended up wearing headphones on public transport just to block out other peoples' - but tbh in my office - people keep them pretty much turned down, no need to be loud if you've got noise suppressing head phones.

My strategy this week though has been just to stick in a pair of foam ear plugs - seems to work pretty well - don;t see how i can annoy anyone doing that.

If you cant beat them join them, I hate apple, who else makes a decent mp3 player?

I've got a Creative Zen Nano Plus and a Creative Zen Mosaic - both very good...no problems at all.

Cheers, I like Creative, all of my PCs have had their soundcards in. Although Im getting a new phone soon and will prob just get a bigger memory card for it just for choons 8)

bagpusscp

Stone Glider wrote:

Don't you have "Workers Playtime" broadcast over the Tannoy?

But then again, I have been out of work quite a long time........

Cue music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnhWxDhA ... L&index=29

Le Commentateur

bagpusscp wrote:

Stone Glider wrote:

Don't you have "Workers Playtime" broadcast over the Tannoy?

But then again, I have been out of work quite a long time........

Cue music.

Spotify is the modern "tannoy":
http://open.spotify.com/user/ricadus/pl ... gxvflEhqze

Bhima

fto-si wrote:

Bhima wrote:

Pross wrote:

There's been a big thing recently from the PRS (I think) chasing companies that allow music in work for royalty payments. Apparently you need a special license with different types for different workplaces.

Only applies if the music is being played in a public place. The term "public" is very open to interpretation though.

I think you will find that offices/shops/workshops etc are classed as public places in this instance and a PRS ' licence' is required.

BUT personal stereos/headphones are not heard by anyone else, so don't require a PRS lisence. I thought that's what the original poster was talking about... :?

Cressers

I posted this in an older thread but I couldn't restate it any better.

"I spent twelve years working in a factory with a pounding piped music system, despite numerous protests there was no escaping it or even a chance of having the channel changed or the volume turned down. Being partially-sighted and so being more reliant on my hearing as a 'early-warning' system I found being exposed to such noxious noise (Waydio Wun or Yokel Waydeeyo) more stressful as time went on, I searched in vain for other work, with my condition there was nothing to be found. Eventually I suffered a nervous breakdown and clinical depression and was forced to leave the job that had become unpleasant and unsuitable for me, That Bloody Noise was one of the bigger straws that broke this camel's back...

...so it's not just a harmless thing, it can and does have adverse effects on people."

AMcD

djbarren wrote:

Maybe you all missed this. The music does not BLAST OUT LOUD
It was a small digital radio beside my computer turned down low, as there are only 3 off us in the room we tended to listen to the same station.

I started a new job this year. For four months I was in a similar position to DJBarren. I was in a small office of three, with a small radio, turned low, and playing all day. The problem was I hated it - it was too distracting and I could hardly concentrate on my work. I have to type up lengthy minutes from meetings and all I could hear was the tinny sound of the music. We are due to move to open plan offices where all music will be banned and I was grimly putting up with the noise until we moved. However the move date keeps getting put back. Eventually I had to tell the other girls how it was bothering me - they were great and no longer have the radio on on the days I work. I felt bad about that but I can say I no longer dread going to work. My working environment has improved 100% and I no longer run out the door when my day is up .

The problem is we all have different tolerances to noise at different times (I can't drive WITHOUT music and have it on pretty loud but wouldn't subject a passenger to this), whether radios, phone conversations etc but we don't often have the choice where we work or what our colleagues preferences are.

In our open plan offices we will have to keep lengthy conversations with colleagues to a minimum, or move to a 'break out' area, keep the ringing volume on our phones low, answer the phone asap to avoid ringing and of course not listen to music. Sounds like heaven .

Le Commentateur

Or a convent.

Mithras

Pross wrote:

There's been a big thing recently from the PRS (I think) chasing companies that allow music in work for royalty payments. Apparently you need a special license with different types for different workplaces.

We've had the same problem in our office. However having read the legislation, this would also cover persons in cars playing excessively loud music in public. Your duty is to take the registratiion and report every person playing loud music in cars to the PRS. Make sure you phone up weekly to demand the results of the complaint.Should put and end to PRS chasing royalties I think!