Optimising the WorkplaceReading UniversityMSc CourseIntelligent BuildingsJanuary 2011

Kevin Reader

Introduction■ Humans have not yet evolved to cope with working in large numbers in sealed buildings deprived of fresh air and natural light

– Man made materials & electronic smog– Minimal physical activity– Maximum mental, visual & aural activity

■ The result is an undetected epidemic of so called sick building syndrome– High sickness absence levels– Poor personal productivity– Voluntary wastage

■ These symptoms have been attributed to– Lack of job security– Management bullying– Racial & social tensions– The Government

■ Recent research however shows that 60-70% of this problem can be found in the office environment

Objectives of Optimisation■ MAXIMUM OUTPUT at MINIMUM COST

■ Average organisation efficiency is < 50%■ No stress = no output■ Excess stress = high activity + low output + high fatigue ■ High fatigue = high cost of manpower machines and space■ Low stress+ high concentration = maximum output & minimum cost

Employees do not assess a workplace in terms of space efficiency, real estate costs or scientific data on the ergonomics, sound levels, light and air quality etc but on how it feels to work in itJohn Jukes Westra 2008

Before Optimisation

Symptom Analysis - Videotron

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Back Pain

Neck etc PainHand/Arm Pain

Headache sTiredness

Nose runnyThroat sore/dry

Eyes dry/itchyCough

Irritabili tyCold/flu

Skin rash/itchWheeziness

% of Staff

Before

After Optimisation

Symptom Analysis - Videotron

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Back Pain

Neck etc PainHand/Arm Pain

HeadachesTiredness

Nose runnyThroat sore/dry

Eyes dry/itchyCough

IrritabilityCold/flu

Skin rash/itchWheeziness

% of Staff

After

Before and after Optimisation

020406080

100120140160180

Sick Days WorkLoad

StaffLeaving

BeforeAfter

US Department of Labour Occupational Safety & Health - OSHA Web Site

What needs Optimising?

■ EVERYTHING!! ■ Why?

■ The modern office is a minefield of unsuspected sources of biological stress

■ “The synergic effect of multiple stressors can result in decreased productivity, absenteeism and high turnover.”■ “Prolonged exposure may lead to hypertension, coronary heart disease. ulcers, alcoholism and mental illness.”

IT Investment implications

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

4

Yrs 60-73 Yrs 73-95

ProductivityIncrease %IT Investment %GDP

US Labour Productivity & IT Investment (Scientific American)

Optimising the workplace – List of organisations■ British Rail■ Amex■ MOD■ Mortgage Corporation■ Nortel■ Holiday Inns■ Kent Ambulance■ British Telecom■ Herts Constabulary■ BBC■ Walsall Council

■ British Airways■ British Gas■ Cable & Wireless■ British Petroleum■ Southampton Health

Authority■ Pfizer■ Family Medicine■ Penguin Books■ Sun Newspaper■ Sandwell Council

Optimising the workplace – Background of research

■ Reading University■ Warwick University■ Surrey University■ Montpelier University■ Dusseldorf University■ Kitasau University■ Cromwell Hospital■ University College London■ NASA■ Washington State University

Optimising the workplace – Health implications

■ Cancer■ Alzheimer's■ Asthma■ Sperm Count Decline■ Fertility Decline■ Parkinson's Disease■ Heart Attack■ Detached Retina■ Computer Death Syndrome

The growth in diseases like cancer in developed societies can be partly attributed to the increases in technology within offices and home environmentsThomas Saunders author of “The Boiled Frog Syndrome”

■ Headaches■ Coughs/sneezes■ Dry, itchy, tired eyes■ Blocked, runny nose■ Tiredness, fatigue■ Rashes, itches, dry skin■ Cold/flu like symptoms■ Dry throat■ Sore Throat■ Wheeziness

■ Back, leg pain■ Neck pain■ Shoulder pain■ Arms, elbow pain■ Hands/finger pain■ Concentration problems■ Memory problems■ Pessimistic/depressed■ Tense/ irritable■ Sleeping difficulties

Optimising the workplace – Symptoms

Optimising the workplace – Stress

■ Deadlines■ Insecurity■ Criticism■ Relationships

■ JOB STRESS + BIOLOGICAL STRESS

■ =TOTAL STRESS

There is more information within a daily newspaper than the average person would have experienced in their entire lifetime in the 17th century

Optimising the workplace – Ergonomics

■ Lumbar support seating■ Poor desk design■ Poor work habits

■ Pelvic Support■ Height adjustability■ Training■ Workpace

On July 3rd, 1997, California adopted the first legal standard to regulate ergonomic compliance in the workplace

Optimising the workplace – Electro Magnetic Radiation■ Ultra Violet, Infra Red■ Microwaves, Radio Frequencies■ VLF, ELF, Static.

■ VDU Shields, Ionisers, ■ Tecno AO antennae■ Anti static chairs & carpets■ Flat Panel Displays■ Microwave screening

Radiation from computers, mobile phones, microwave ovens and other electrical appliances has increased by 600% since 1980

Optimising the workplace – Lighting■ Glare■ Colour Balance■ Flicker■ Too much■ Too little

■ Daylight Full Spectrum light■ Polarised light■ Electronic Ballast■ Personal control

050

100150200250300350400

Std Lighting Full Spectrum Daylight380 449 495 570625 700

Controls are extremely important in office-lighting design . . . Manual controls that give workers control over their individual work environments, increase user satisfaction and acceptanceNancy Clanton University of Colorado

Optimising the workplace – Air Quality■ Hot, cold, dry, humid, stuffy ■ Positive Ions & carbon ■ Skin cells (3-5 litres per person yearly)■ Volatile Organic Compounds■ Bacteria, microbes, fungi■ Carbon Dioxide

■ Negative ions ■ Hepa filtration ■ Humidity & plants■ Individual climate control

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be two-to five-times more polluted than the air outdoors

Optimising the workplace – Plants■ Humidity■ CO2 levels■ Oxygen levels■ Volatile Organic Compounds

■ NASA Plants■ Hydroponics■ 2 sqm leaf surface per person■ Water features■ Miniature Rainforests

NASA research has consistently shown that living green and flowering plants can remove several toxic chemicals from the air in building interiors

Optimising the workplace – Plants = Productivity & Health■ In a study conducted by Dr. Virginia Lahr of Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.,

subject reaction times to a computer program were 12% faster when plants were presentBlood pressure readings taken during the same study showed that visual exposure to plant settings could produce significant recovery from stress within five minutes

■ Dr. Bill Wolverton, a NASA research scientist, believes that NASA's findings about indoor plants have some down-to-earth applications for cleaning dirty indoor air. He estimates that 15 to 20 Golden Pothos and Spider Plants can clean and refresh the air in the average 1,800 square foot area

■ In the initial NASA studies over a dozen varieties of common interior plants were placed in sealed, plexiglas chambers. Formaldehyde, a toxic chemical with the greatest exposure on humans, was introduced. Within 24 hours, the plants - Philodendron, Spider Plant and Golden Pothos - removed 80% of the formaldehyde molecules from the chamber

NASA research identifies the most effective pollution fighters are plants

Optimising the workplace – Acoustics

■ Distracting speech■ Telephone ringing■ Excessive vibration■ Machine and cable hum■ Reflected sound

■ Sound masking■ Sound absorption■ Sound cancelling

In open-plan offices, the noise floor is usually so low that conversations are intelligible from up to 15.2 metres. Sound masking can reduce this to less than 2 - 4 metres

■ Airborne Particulates & fungi■ Microbes & Bacteria■ Nylon Fibres & Static

■ Anti Static & Anti fungal■ Anti bacterial & Anti microbial■ Continuous filament■ Sound absorbent

Optimising the workplace – Carpets & Fabrics

The World Health Organization stated that the presence of dust with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 am or smaller (PM10) can damage your healthOver 50% of particles in the workplace fall into this category

Optimising the workplace – Keyboards■ Bacteria■ Discarded food■ MRSA & Super Bugs■ Flu Virus

■ Eating regimes (Away from desk)■ Cleaning procedures■ Keyboard covers■ Washing hands

One keyboard was so dirty that a microbiologist ordered it to be removed, quarantined and cleaned. It had 150 times the acceptable limit for bacteria and was five times as filthy as a typical lavatory seat Gary Noskin at Chicago's North Western Memorial Hospital

Optimising the workplace – Flat Panel displays■ 72% less visual stress symptoms■ No flicker■ Less glare ■ Lower EMR■ Less space■ Less power■ Less heat load

Visual search error frequency is 22% less when reading from an LCD than a CRTProfessor Alan Hedge Dept. Design & Environmental Analysis, Cornell University

Optimising the workplace – Colour■ Bland & Boring■ Colour deprivation■ Depressing■ Mixed Tonal values

■ Psychological effects■ Balance■ Lighting■ Adventurous■ Stimulating

At the University of Iowa, Hawkeye Coach Hayden Fry had the locker room used by visiting teams painted pink, on the basis of research that showed pink surroundings have the effect of reducing aggression

Optimising the workplace – Work Pace■ Rest breaks■ Exercises - Workpace■ Eye Exercises■ Activity Centres■ Relaxation Training■ Keyboard Training

Li Jianjun, Labour Union V. chairman of China mobile, Beijing, said, “We have more than2-thousand employees and their pressure at work is rather heavy. We encourage them to exercise at work to help release that pressure”

Optimising the workplace – Stress controlled■ Humanise the workplace■ Create outdoors => indoors■ Control of own space■ Individual climate control – light, air

& sound■ Treat staff as athletes■ Maximum performance requires maximum support■ Total calm + total focus = optimum

output per personThe negative impact of the indoor environment on health and productivity is its low energy content. High energy environments exist in nature in golf courses, beaches, mountains, rivers and forests. Creating a high energy indoor environment is simply to copy natureJohn Jukes Westra 2008

Optimising the workplace – Productivity & Measurement

■ Short Interval Scheduling■ Productivity Indices■ Activity Sampling■ Zero Based Budgeting■ Work Measurement■ Reaction Timing■ Visual Acuity■ Error Rate Sampling

■ Stress Symptom Scoring■ Visual Acuity - flicker fusion■ Skin Temperature■ Skin Resistance■ Heart Rate■ Reaction Timing■ Brain Wave Pattern

In a study conducted by Dr. Virginia Lahr of Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., subject reaction times to a computer program were 12% faster when plants were present

45.0%

50.0%

55.0%

60.0%

65.0%

70.0%

75.0%

80.0%

85.0%

90.0%

95.0%

100.0%

105.0%

110.0%

CALLS PER DAY 100.0% 103.7% 103.6% 104.1% 104.0% 104.0% 102.7% 101.3% 102.2% 105.4% 106.40%HANDLING TIME 100.0% 98.9% 98.7% 98.0% 97.4% 96.9% 97.3% 98.6% 99.3% 99.1% 98.70%SICK DAYS 100.0% 81.7% 73.6% 56.1% 49.5% 49.9% 53.4% 55.7% 60.5% 58.1% 51.20%

Base June-Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

(Severe Air Conditioning problems)

Optimising the workplace – Productivity & Measurement

BT Kingstanding pilot project showing productivity indicators demonstrating the combined effect of polarized lighting, air ionization and EMR protection over a 3 month moving average (Rise in sick days due to failure to change A/C filters as scheduled)

Optimising the workplace – Benefits■ Higher Productivity (+ 20%)■ Fewer errors■ Fewer stress symptoms ( - 80%)■ Less absence■ Higher morale■ Better staff, management ■ Improved customer relations

Optimising the environment at Walsall Councils recent Model Office project, reduced absenteeism by over 50%, improved productivity by over 25% and increased customer satisfaction from 35 to 85% with a ROI of 12 months

Completion of Model Office Project Phase 2

Completion of Model Office Project Phase 1

Optimising the workplace – Walsall Council

The new office space is excellent; Our staff have really embraced the change. People are even saying they don’t want to go homeSharon Carter Walsall Council

Optimising the workplace – EC Harris HQ■ Staff attrition down by 20%■ Revenue growth up by 17.4%■ Net margin 23% improvement

■ Staff satisfaction with the environment up 20%■ Staff satisfaction with facilities up 14%

Thank You