As people’s offices are filled with more and more technology, the tangible benefits of this are easy to gauge whether they be financial, practical or increases in productivity. We opt for great ergonomic desks, expensive operators’ chairs with endless adjustments and if we’re lucky, free fruit for our work colleagues! Whilst these all have their place in the modern office, often overlooked is the environment itself and the way the effect the artificial stimuli within it affects us all. It’s good to stop and think occasionally about the effect this is having on our minds, bodies and well being. Having recently been diagnosed with health issues, the author has become far more aware of his office environment and the need to make better decisions for himself and to assist clients likewise.
One area of concern is the amount of blue light that is emitted within the office environment; your average display screen emits four times more blue light than that seen within the sun’s spectrum at the peak time of day. The lighting is often LED ‘Cool White’, which is very blue intensive because the red part of the spectrum has been taken out, making it cheaper to run. The office windows allow all blue light through but restrict purple and red parts of the sun’s natural spectrum.
We are therefore researching full spectrum lighting that works in harmony with the body’s circadian rhythm… please watch this space.