Overview
Part 1 (Ergonomics)
Jennifer Veitch, PhD, a senior research officer at the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa, investigates how indoor lighting affects employee well-being and productivity and how employee behaviors affect the use of resources and energy. Dr. Veitch recently completed a study on the impact of control over workspace lighting on workers. Findings of her research revealed that when people have control over the lighting in their work spaces, their moods are more upbeat, they are more committed to their employers, and they have overall improved well-being. Individually controlled lighting also reduced lighting energy use by 10 percent.
For this unit's discussion, please share your thoughts on the pros and cons of implementing individually controlled lighting in an office environment.
Part 2 (Industrial Hygiene)
Several organizations publish occupational exposure limits (OELs) including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) permissible exposure limits (PELs), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH) threshold limit values (TLVs), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) recommended exposure limits (RELs). Only OSHA's PELs are legally enforceable. Discuss why you would only use the OSHA PEL at a facility where you were the safety officer, or alternatively, why you would choose to use one of the other OELs or a combination of the OELs.