Ok this is an odd query concerning audible warnings

[shi-g]

Morning all

We have quite a lot of home working. And taking it in turns to come into the office. We also have a warehouse/workshop with 1 guy working down there 5 days a week. So very often 1 person is working alone in the office. Now there is 1 door into the office from the warehouse. Some staff have found it very unnerving. Especially if they are concentrating on something. And the door suddenly swings open and somebody walks in. To alleviate this I setup one of the CCTV cameras to give an audible warning when someone walks past it. However for some unknown reason the MD is opposed to it. My question is does anything exist anywhere that gives some weight to having an audible warning/alarm ?

Sorry its a little lame in the great scheme of things. But stuff can and does get very petty at my place of work.

[Alexis]

Good Morning shi-g.

I am assuming your MD is concerned over the alarm becoming a noise nuisance to others in the vicinity, thus may come under The Control of Noise Code of Practise, now revoked in England, but this was only a Code of Practise and not anything lawful.

I understand your reasoning for installing the alarm.

What about having one of those simple door opening ding-dong alarms with a soft close door hinge installed. This would then alleviate any crash opening of the door to frighten the occupant.

The method you have at the moment may be really annoying for people outside the office whilst going about their daily business, especially within a warehouse environment where movement is ongoing every day and I expect lots of toing and froing into the office for paperwork.

Just a thought from me, but I am sure others who have had similar experience will come in when they have a moment.

Good luck.

[Messy]

I don't really understand the issue here I am afraid.

Is it that the door is sticking in the frame so opens with a noisy bang? Is it the way the person entering bursts in? Or is it the noise from the workshop suddenly raising the ambient noise level in the office when the door is opened?

Why would a sudden audible alarm be less jarring than a door opening ?

I apologise if I am being thick and I am not intending to demean the situation as it sounds pretty uncomfortable on the nerves

Alexis' bell idea sounds like perhaps a more sensible idea. Could repositioning the person's desk (who is being effected) so it faces the door help as s/he might be less shocked by the sudden noise if they can see the door opening ?

[grim72]

I agree with Messy/Alexis suggestions - easy enough to fit a soft close/open bracket to the door to prevent it slamming open/shut and don't cost much, the idea of moving the desk is also a good one along with the ding-dong alarm if necessary. I think using one or more of those might be a better solution than the current CCTV method as I imagine it will be getting set off too frequently if simply motion sensor activated? It is quite hard to visualise the current set-up but hopefully there are a few suggestions that might help find a solution that everyone is happy with.

In our office we have the added feature of needing to scan your key fob to release the door opening which also gives a small beep - again more a security feature than anything else but I've no idea how costly they are - we have had it in place for as long as I can remember - also restricts access to those that need to be (are authorised to be) in/out of the office