Optimise workplace in industrial environments with holistic approach

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP set out to improve the working environment for production workers. They have developed an analytical concept that combines measurements of temperature, air quality, lighting and noise with workers' subjective perceptions. If people feel more comfortable, efficiency and productivity could also increase.

A workplace with a pleasant indoor climate and non-glare lighting where general noise levels and annoying background noise are minimised is essential for people's comfort at work. Studies on health, performance and well-being in the workplace have mainly focused on office environments in recent years. As part of the OPTIMA PRO initiative, researchers at the Stuttgart and Valley (near Munich) sites of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP have now turned their attention to the workplace in the manufacturing sector.

Industrial workplace optimisation

OPTIMA PRO stands for "Optimised performance in terms of temperature, lighting, movement, acoustics and air quality in production workplaces" With this concept, for the first time, measurements of the working environment are combined with employee surveys on their subjective well-being. Respondents are asked about factors such as their perception of heat, whether they are bothered by noise and whether the lighting in the workplace is pleasant. By considering all objective and subjective data as a whole, a rich and detailed picture emerges.

Methodology

This methodology is useful for companies building new production sites or optimising existing working environments and designing settings that support good performance and health. Moreover, a working environment with high comfort levels also increases motivation.

Complex conditions on the factory floor

Conditions in manufacturing environments are considerably more complex than those in offices, as annoying factors such as noise, air currents, smoke, dust and fumes are more common in industrial environments. Sabine Giglmeier, head of innovation management at Fraunhofer IBP, explains: "The environmental conditions on a factory floor are very changeable. Machines are turned on or off, gates open for a delivery and let in cold air, or furnaces are fired up, which can make the areas around them very hot."

Holistic evaluation

Chief Scientist Maria Zaglauer, who leads the project at Fraunhofer IBP, explains the idea behind Optima Pro: "Existing measurement concepts are not sufficient to protect workers' long-term health and sense of well-being in this challenging environment. We are therefore developing an approach that combines differentiated measurement tools with individual surveys of the people involved. This enables a holistic evaluation of the working environment."

DressMAN system with 30 sensors

In a project called Work-BW: Gesunde, produktive und energieeffiziente Industriearbeitsplätze (Work BW: Healthy, Productive and Energy-Efficient Industrial Workplaces), the researchers are working on the next iteration of their DressMAN measurement system: DressMAN360°. This measurement system was originally designed to analyse thermal comfort in indoor spaces, especially in car cabins. Michael Visser, Senior Scientist and thermal comfort expert at Fraunhofer IBP, is leading the development of the DressMAN measurement system and coordinating the technical integration of new observation paths - with the aim of making the method an industrial measurement standard.

Complex interactions between people and workplace

Fraunhofer technology makes it possible to discern complex interactions between the working environment and subjective human perceptions. Zaglauer explains: "A constant noise from building equipment, such as a ventilation system, is perceived as annoying. But when that system is switched off, other sounds suddenly become audible, and they can be much more disturbing than the constant sound of ventilation." Another example: people may perceive the ambient temperature as higher if a warmer colour temperature of light is used.

Resources

As a whole, DressMan360° and OPTIMA PRO become valuable tools for companies, both to evaluate existing workplaces and to align challenging production environments with occupational health management requirements. "Good conditions, both in production and office environments, relieve employees and ultimately also reduce absenteeism. This can help make physically demanding industrial jobs attractive to skilled workers again," Giglmeier said.

Source: The new DressMAN360° measurement system enables detailed conclusions about comfort in the industrial workplace.(Photo: Fraunhofer IBP)

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