Analysis of the Impact of Working Environment Factors on Employee’s Health and Wellbeing; Workplace Lighting Design Evaluation and Improvement
06 Aug 2021-Sustainability (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)-Vol. 13, Iss: 16, pp 8816
TL;DR: The possible connection between human and working environment factors and the emergence of health problems in connection with work and the evaluation of lighting conditions in the workshop using the lighting design software DIALux evo 9.2.
Abstract: In modern society, humans spend most of their time in the indoor environment (home, work, school...). This indoor lifestyle constantly poses challenges to our physical and mental health by affecting our hormone levels and circadian rhythm. This article deals with the possible connection between human and working environment factors and the emergence of health problems in connection with work. Using statistical methods, the dependence between the six characteristics (age, length of employment, visual demand of the work task, satisfaction with lighting conditions, and shift work) and occurrence of health-related problems and discomfort (i.e., eye discomfort, headache, eye fatigue, and seasonal affective disorder symptoms) was examined. The paper also deals with the evaluation of lighting conditions in the workshop using the lighting design software DIALux evo 9.2. Using this software, two lighting variants were modeled. The first simulated variant included lighting parameters according to the currently used luminaries and the second variant contained more efficient LED luminaries.
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TL;DR: In this article , the authors explore the impact of spaces on visitors' well-being in the context of yachting tourism and its impact on the quality of overall experience when on a luxury yacht holiday.
Abstract: PurposeThe purpose of this practice-led article is to explore yachting tourism and its impact on visitors' well-being. This is specifically addressed through the lens of yacht spaces on luxury boats, their use and therefore the enjoyment they facilitate for guests. The article argues that the sense of well-being and satisfaction with life can be facilitated by creating stylish and comfortable spaces which allow a closer connection and interaction with the outdoor environment, ability to combine work and pleasure, and offer retreat for personalised well-being activities such as beauty treatments.Design/methodology/approachThe article is supported by knowledge derived from relevant books, academic and practitioner journals and media, including newspaper articles and websites. The article utilised a qualitative methodology to obtain first-hand luxury yacht practitioner knowledge through ethnographic methods of the life-course of the researcher. Primary data were qualitatively analysed in the context of prior knowledge of the industry.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that interior and exterior spaces on luxury boats can contribute to and enhance the state of well-being and satisfaction with one's life by providing spaces which are not only unique and exclusive in their beauty and comfort but also can facilitate the quality of overall experience when on a luxury yacht holiday. This includes connection with the broader environment of the area, tranquillity, possibility to enjoy one's holiday while being able to engage in one's work, enhancing the quality of a luxury yacht holiday experience through customising one's recreational and relaxation activities such as beauty treatments, sunbathing and offering space for personal seclusion and privacy. Design of yacht spaces in some cases also offers recreation areas for crew, which is a considerate approach towards the well-being of staff. However, this is not currently common practice, especially on smaller boats.Practical implicationsOne potential implication is recognition of the use of space on luxury yachts for the particular benefit of guests. This is a critical consideration at the stage of architectural design of the yacht and its interior planning. Another practical implication is the introduction of recreational/well-being spaces for crew to maximise their productivity by offering them space to recharge their physical and psychological state while working away from home and at intense work levels.Originality/valueThe value of the article is in shedding light on the importance of spaces on luxury yachts and discussing their impact on the well-being of guests and crew. The article provides an insight into daily operations and the use of space to achieve the enhancement of well-being of guests and crew. It also offers recommendations to relevant stakeholders in the luxury yacht industry, charter companies and luxury yacht architects and designers regarding the importance of spaces for owners and guests of luxury yachts to maximise their satisfaction with their luxury yacht experiences and, more specifically, their state of well-being. Understanding the reality of the luxury yachting experience contributes to our academic engagement with this sector of Special Interest Tourism (SIT) which is currently under-researched.
TL;DR: In this article , a qualitative study of patients and their social environment about domestic confinement in Spain was requested during the State of Alarm in the Spring of 2020, and 33 participants filled out an online questionnaire with narratives and images describing their experiences.
Abstract: One of the highest risk groups the highest during COVID-19 were chronic patients. In addition to being a population at risk, in the lockdown they had to combine the pandemic with their own disease. Through a qualitative study of visual–emotional analysis, the perception of patients and their social environment (immediate support network) about the domestic confinement in Spain was requested during the State of Alarm in the Spring of 2020. For this, 33 participants filled out an online questionnaire with narratives and images describing their experiences. They were asked to share their experiences about quarantine from several perspectives of the housing spaces: the workplace (or alternatively, if they did not work, the most used occupational space), the least pleasant spaces or aspects of the dwelling and the most pleasant or comfortable area. The results suggested the importance for participants of natural and adequate lighting in spaces and tidiness, with both being linked to well-valued spaces. Moreover, rest was the activity most undertaken, for those who did not telework. Likewise, the narratives provided by participants were mostly positive, despite their condition, maybe due to their own coping with the disease. Dwellings were the adaptive means to tackle the situation of physical isolation as a place of protection against an external threat. The living room and bedrooms were chosen as the most prominent places. The characteristics of the dwellings conditioned the experiences lived during the quarantine of chronic patients.
References
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TL;DR: Four aspects of the built environment, at different spatial scales-nature contact, buildings, public spaces, and urban form-are identified as offering promising opportunities for public health research, and potential research agendas for each are discussed.
Abstract: “Sense of place” is a widely discussed concept in fields as diverse as geography, environmental psychology, and art, but it has little traction in the field of public health. The health impact of place includes physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and aesthetic outcomes. In this article, the author introduces sense of place as a public health construct. While many recommendations for “good places” are available, few are based on empirical evidence, and thus they are incompatible with current public health practice. Evidence-based recommendations for healthy place making could have important public health implications. Four aspects of the built environment, at different spatial scales—nature contact, buildings, public spaces, and urban form—are identified as offering promising opportunities for public health research, and potential research agendas for each are discussed.
499 citations
TL;DR: The data unambiguously demonstrate an effect of light on the corticotropic axis that is dependent on time of day.
Abstract: The only well documented effect of light exposure on endocrine function is the suppression of nocturnal melatonin. Bright light exposure has behavioral effects, including the alleviation of sleepiness during nocturnal sleep deprivation. The present study examines the effects of bright light on the profiles of hormones known to be affected by sleep deprivation (TSH) or involved in behavioral activation (cortisol). Eight healthy men participated each in three studies involving 36 h of continuous wakefulness. In one study, the subjects were exposed to constant dim light (baseline). In the two other studies, dim light exposure was interrupted by a 3-h period of bright light exposure either from 0500-0800 h (early morning study) or from 1300-1600 h (afternoon study). Blood samples were obtained every 15 min for 24 h to determine melatonin, cortisol, and TSH concentrations. Alertness was estimated by the number of lapses on two computerized vigilance-sensitive performance tasks. The early morning transition from dim to bright light suppressed melatonin secretion, induced an immediate, greater than 50% elevation of cortisol levels, and limited the deterioration of alertness normally associated with overnight sleep deprivation. No effect was detected on TSH profiles. Afternoon exposure to bright light did not have any effect on either hormonal or behavioral parameters. The data unambiguously demonstrate an effect of light on the corticotropic axis that is dependent on time of day.
224 citations
TL;DR: In this article, psychological processes influencing lighting quality are discussed. But they do not consider the effect of lighting quality on the lighting quality of a building. And they focus on lighting quality.
Abstract: (2001). Psychological Processes Influencing Lighting Quality. Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 124-140.
206 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tested whether these effects are detectable and stable over time when employed in actual work settings and found no significant differences for need for recovery, vitality, alertness, headache and eyestrain, mental health, sleep quality, or subjective performance.
Abstract: Dynamic lighting is designed to have positive effects on well-being and performance. In a field experiment we tested whether these effects are detectable and stable over time when employed in actual work settings. The study consists of two tranches, one following a monthly alternating experimental design, the other a yearly alternating one. This paper reports on the first tranche. In a dual balanced design, office workers experienced dynamic or static lighting according to an a-b-a /b-a-b scheme over three consecutive periods (N = 142, 90, 83). Questionnaire data suggest no significant differences for need for recovery, vitality, alertness, headache and eyestrain, mental health, sleep quality, or subjective performance, although employees were more satisfied with the dynamic lighting. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
111 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider whether any more research on lighting conditions for interiors is needed and conclude that more research is necessary if we are to fully understand all the impacts of lighting on the health, wealth and safety of people, but not more of the same.
Abstract: For many years, lighting research for interiors has been focused on the twin topics of visibility and visual comfort. The result of this effort has been the development of a validated model that allows the prediction of the effect of lighting and task conditions on visual performance, and an understanding of the conditions that cause visual discomfort. This paper considers whether any more research on lighting conditions for interiors is needed. The answer given is that more research is necessary if we are to fully understand all the impacts of lighting on the health, wealth and safety of people, but not more of the same. Rather, the future of lighting research in interiors lies in a move beyond visibility and visual discomfort to areas where lighting operates on mood and behaviour through the ‘message’ it sends and on health and task performance through the circadian system.
90 citations