04
magazine
Philips Lighting is demanding a re-appraisal of
office lighting rules now that 30-50% of people
in work are over 45 years old.
In Europe, the minimum lighting requirements
for writing, typing, reading and data processing in
offices is 500 lux, a level considered insufficient by
almost one third of today’s workers.
Research shows that a 60-year-old person
needs between two and five times as much light
as a 20-year-old to see the same visual detail, let
alone to concentrate.
Philips advocates more user control over lighting
to meet the diverse needs of all employees, not just
older workers, citing a laboratory study from 2011
which showed that while 1000 lux is required to
support concentration, dimmer lighting enhances
creative thinking.
When Philips gave people desk lamps that
allowed them to adjust light intensity and colour
temperature, 90% reported sharper vision,
optimum eye comfort, the ability to see smaller
details and improved contrast.
Dr Bianca van der Zande, principal scientist at
Philips Lighting, said: “Regulatory bodies should
take these findings into account for the well-
being and productivity of today’s workforce.
People spend 80-90% of their time indoors, of
which around 20% is spent at work, so the indoor
environment determines, to a large extent, the
comfort and well-being of the office employee,
influencing their performance.”
As an economical alternative to adjustable
desk lights, Philips advocates Philips Power-over-
Ethernet ceiling lighting that uses the same cabling
as computers.Wireless communication access
points integrated into each lighting fixture enable
users to adjust lighting in their personal space
using a smartphone.
Adrie de Vries, senior lighting consultant at
Philips, said: “Imagine being able to adjust the
lighting directly above you with just a tap of
an app on your smartphone. Philips’ connected
lighting system for offices allows you to change
your light settings depending on your own
preference. You can select a high light level to
boost your energy or a lower light level to promote
creative work.What’s more, the system can
remember your personal preferences.”
Workplace HealthWeek
May 18-22 is the UK’s first Workplace
HealthWeek organised byWorkplace
Challenge to raise awareness of the
importance of incorporating physical
activity into one’s working day.
Businesses are being urged to join the
30,000 individuals and 5,500 workplaces
already signed up toWorkplace
Challenge, a programme funded by
Sport England to engage businesses in
sport and physical activity.
Sickness absence rates fall
As the economy improves, 40% of UK
employers have seen sickness absence
rates improve over the last 12 months
– 6% more than last year, according
to new research from Group Risk
Development (GRiD). Just 15% say rates
have worsened. Respondents attribute
the improvement to good morale (62%)
and to employee health and wellness
initiatives (21%). One third (36%) cited
job insecurity as a factor.
One of a kind
Sterillo is claimed
to be the only
hand dryer on
the market that
kills bacteria
and cleans the
surrounding air.
It combines one
of Europe’s best-
selling hand dryers
with cutting-edge
technology from
AirSteril – also
used by many
ambulances and
care homes – to kill
the bacteria, mould
and viruses that spread disease and
cause odours.
Stress not an illness
Two thirds (69%) of senior business
managers and owners don’t believe that
stress, anxiety or depression is a serious
enough reason to be off work, according
to research by AXA PPP healthcare.
Only 39% of employees would be
honest with their line manager when
calling in sick if they were suffering
from stress, anxiety or depression.
agenda
Time to re-think office
lighting rules
Health checks while you work
Businesses are being urged to hire interactive health kiosks to provide
employees who don’t have time to visit a GP with a quick and easy
health check and to encourage healthier lifestyles.
Analysis of 50,000 health MOTs completed in workplaces last year
by The Health Insurance Group and theWellbeing People, makers of
interactive health kiosks, shows that 17% of the UK workforce has a
BMI greater than 30, a measure defined as ‘clinically obese’ by theWorld
Health Organisation. More than two thirds (68%) of men and 54% of
women had a high or very high body fat content and 33% men and 19%
of women had high blood pressure.
Brett Hill, director of The Health Insurance Group, said: “The kiosks
provided some intriguing data about workplace health and have shown
they are the perfect tool for building awareness around the importance
of health issues and engaging people in a way that’s convenient, non-
invasive and fits in around their working day.”
The kiosks check a person’s weight, height, body mass index, body fat
percentage, blood pressure and heart rate. Interactive applications test
well-being through a mind/mood app that examines how someone is
feeling and Boomerang, a life/balance programme that queries personal
lifestyle habits i.e. smoking, diet, exercise and sleep. At the end of testing,
a score card rates a person’s health.
Older workers need more light
