Insight

Case Study: Manchester Airports Group chooses Sennheiser

Vendors

Sennheiser has been chosen by Manchester Airports Group to supply its Manchester location with headsets for control room staff. Due to problems with existing headsets, it was decided to replace all units with an alternative that was comfortable, quick to charge and importantly that offered adequate hearing protection.

The Challenge

Given the proximity of some of the car parks to the air strip and subsequent aircraft noise, sudden sound surges were beginning to cause concerns for many of the staff. A Health & Safety representative identified the problem and confirmed that there was a moderate risk of this occurring on a general basis. They informed management that specialised headsets would be required to eliminate the chance of staff suffering from these effects.

In addition, the nature of the work at Manchester Airports Group meant that operators needed headsets that were quick to charge with a good battery life, and since staff often have to remain mobile while on the phone, a wireless solution would increase safety and flexibility.

The Solution

A supplier recommended Sennheiser’s DW series of headsets, which fulfilled all of the requirements and importantly would guard against the risk of sound surges due to their acoustic shock protection. Initially, six headsets were taken for a trial period of three weeks, with staff invited to test both single and double-sided models. Feedback was extremely positive:

“We chose the Sennheiser DW largely because of the added protection they provided, and after trialling the headsets the team were happy that these would be good for use within the control room” said Charlotte Wienholt, Car Park Control Room manager at Manchester Airport “They are wireless which is a must for us, the sound quality is also very good. We were able to choose from single or double headsets and it is great that team members were able to pick what was most suitable one for them.”

The DW series places an emphasis on comfort, durability and quality with HD audio and ultra-noise cancelling microphones to ensure consistent performance regardless of environment. Importantly it also includes patented ActiveGard™ protection.

In addition, Manchester Airports Group required headsets that would last for a full shift, are quick to charge, and that offer stable wireless functionality to avoid the dangers of having wires strewn around desks in a mobile workstation. The DW series offers up to 12 hours of talk time and up to 180m range with independent headset volume control, offering a good degree of flexibility away from the desk.

Charlotte said she wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Sennheiser’s DW series to other companies, stating “They are very practical to use in our environment, especially as the headsets are wireless. The headsets can easily be charged via a docking station or USB cable too and don’t take long to charge.”