Session 3 Good practices for solving indoor air problems at workplaces 29 th of May 2007 The impact of management attitudes on perceived thermal comfort T.Derksen MSc. J.E.M.H. van Bronswijk PhD Department of Architecture, Building and Planning Research group: Public Health Engineering for Built Environments

Relevance Ageing society [UN, 2007] Working population decreases [UN, 2007] A vital working population needed Compressing morbidity [J.F.Fries, 1992] Stress stands among top-5 chronic conditions [RIVM, 2007] Indoor air problems are related to stress [P.L.Ooi, 1997] [Morris B. Mendelson, 2000] [M. Lahtinen, 2002] [T. Witterseh, 2004] [R. Runeson, 2006] Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.1/7

Research question Explaining perceived thermal comfort (range: t=20-24 o C) Relevant factors: Indoor climate Individual characteristics (objective) Health related factors (objective & subjective) Organizational factors (subjective) Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.2/7

Measuring thermal comfort and work stress Location: 3 open-plan offices in Eindhoven, the Netherlands (46 occupants) Measurements: Air temperature [ o C]; Mean radiant temperature [ o C]; Relative humidity [%]; Air velocity [m/s]; CO2 concentration [ppm]; Airborne particles (≥0.3 μm and ≥1.0 μm) [counts/min] Questionnaires: office environment survey (HOPE) [Building Research Establishment Ltd, 2002]; extended cognitive failure questionnaire [Broadbent, et al 1982]; effort reward imbalance questionnaire [Siegris, Peter 1996] Data analyses: Bi-variant and multi-variant analyses Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.3/7

Perceived thermal comfort, PPD and stress in % Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.4/7 Significant correlation between: - perceived thermal comfort [1=comfort; 7=discomfort] and stress [yes/no] (σ=0.297, p<0.05) No significant correlations between: - gender and perceived thermal comfort and stress Office perceived thermal discomfort percentage dissatisfiedstress stressed combined with discomfort A (n=16) B (n=14)78177 C (n=16) total

IAQ, Sick Building Syndrome, health Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.5/7 Significant correlation between perceived: - thermal comfort [1-7] and perceived SBS symptoms [0-5] (σ=0.284, p<0.05) - SBS symptoms [0-5] and stress [yes/no] (σ=0.292, p<0.05) Office perceived SBS symptoms [0 - 48] IAQ CO 2 levels (ppm) health [0 - 5] A B46781 C85021 total75921

Privacy, control, work stress and management Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.6/7 significant correlation between perceived: - thermal comfort [1-7] and perceived discomfort irt privacy [1-7] (σ=0.353, p<0.01) - discomfort irt privacy [1-7] and stress [yes/no] (σ=0.282, p<0.05) - thermal comfort [1-7] and dissatisfaction irt reaction on complaints [1-7] (σ=0.889, p<0.05) (n=5) Office perceived discomfort irt privacy [1 - 7] perceived control over climate [5 - 35] work stress [6 - 24] A51512 B5613 C58 total51013

Stress and thermal comfort revisited Perceived thermal comfort, stress, perceived privacy and perceived SBS symptoms are significantly correlated Perception and actual indoor climate are not related Results might be typical for open-plan offices Correlation with management attitude towards complaints Conclusion: The way management deals with complains, whether or not directly related to the indoor environment, influences thermal comfort complains. Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.7/7

Thank you for your attention. Introduction Methodology Results Conclusion T.Derksen MSc.