Open Floor Plan & Glass Office Pose Safety Risk

There has been a trend in both homes and offices to create an open concept with no walls or with glass walls. The theory behind the open concept office is to encourage collaboration and idea sharing.

There are many benefits to an open concept office space however there are also a few concerns.

1. Privacy – When there are no walls a phone conversation is heard by all. Employees have the right to some privacy for personal calls as well as business calls. Some business conversations have sensitive content and need to remain private.

2. Volume – With glass walls or no walls voices will travel farther. Solutions such as a noise machine can help but the noise level can be a problem.

3. Physical risk – When an office is filled with glass walls it increases the risk that an employee or guest will walk into a wall. This is very common with glass walls and can cause a work injury or result in embarrassment of a client, potential client or employee.