How Natural Light Affects Your Employees Well-Being

Being stuck in a guard booth all day long can be tedious.  Poorly designed booths can diminish alertness and cause both physical and mental health problems for employees.  Using a properly designed booth for your security guard, parking attendant, or ticket salesperson that maximizes natural lighting provides a myriad of health benefits.

In addition to providing an enhanced views for better visibility, natural lighting for guard booths has a variety of health benefits to improve quality of life for employees. According to a study by the University of Illinois and Northwestern Medicine, exposure to natural light for guard booths workers has been shown to improve alertness, quality of life, and sleep quality.

Guardian Booths come with a variety of options for maximizing natural light for guard booths, and also includes the option of tinted windows that let light pass through but provide increased privacy while also reducing heat absorption.

Increased Alertness

Security officers stuck in a small guard shack or parking attendants in a vale booth can sometimes face extended periods of inactivity.  By increasing natural light during the day which provides better sleep quality at night, workers are less likely to be drowsy while on duty and more alert at their job.  The study shows that workers exposed to natural light in guard booths also tended to be more active and physically fit.

In addition, natural lighting effects showed an increase in worker activity and productivity. Miriam Munch from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said light has a perceptible impact on non visual functions, such as alertness, mood, and performance.
Natural light increases productivity.  “Lighting conditions are likely to significantly contribute to modulation of alertness and productivity,” Munch said.

The U of I/Northwestern study highlights the importance of natural light in the workplace. Workers exposed to more natural light during work hours tended to exercise more and engage in more physical activity, which can lead to increased levels of alertness.

Taub isn’t your ordinary guard booth builder.  In addition to being a paramedic, he’s also a third year medical student at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine and currently in training at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx.  “Good emotional health is the catalyst to good physical health and the ingredient for an overall better quality of life.”

Together with his long-time friend Abe Breuer who shared similar experiences as a veteran Emergency Medical Technician, Taub and Breuer co-founded Guardian Booths.  “One of the reasons we created Guardian Booths was the lack of natural light in booths offered by competitors,” Taub said.  Before starting Guardian Booths, Taub and Breuer used to contract with other companies for their guard shacks.  Customers always complained about the lack of windows.  Taub made it his mission to design a booth from the user perspective with the most possible windows for natural light and 360-degree visibility.

Better Sleep Quality

Windows providing natural light have a significant impact on sleep patterns. The study shows that workers that spent time in a workplace setting with windows providing natural light slept 46 minutes a night more than those that didn’t. Other studies, including those published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, show that windows provided a 173% increase in white light exposure during work hours.  White light (or natural light) exposure provided for increased sleep quality.

The body craves routine, but adapts to its environment.  The natural cycle of waking and sleeping can be disrupted by a lack of natural light during daylight hours.  Working without natural light can cause the body to produce additional amounts of melatonin – the hormone that helps us fall asleep.  Natural light inhibits melatonin production, which helps shake off the drowsy feeling.

Better Mental and Physical Health

“Light during the natural daylight hours has powerful effects on health,” Zee said.  “People who get more light during the day may sleep better at night, which can also help improve health,” Zee cited as one of the health benefits of natural light.

Sleep plays a critical role in overall health.  The human body fights infection while at rest when energy can be utilized in fighting the infection rather than other functions.  A good night’s rest can help reduce illness and help the body repair.

Stress plays a major factor in health and healing.  Increased stress causes increased levels of the hormone cortisol.  Cortisol production is reduced during sleep to allow the body to rest.  Lack of sleep can play a key role in fatigue and depression.

Working in a windowless office can prohibit Vitamin D production.  Natural sunlight increases the body’s absorption of Vitamin D, which is known to help immune systems stave off disease and fight off depression.

“Light is the most important synchronizing agent for the brain and body,” Northwestern’s Ivy Cheung said in describing natural light health benefits. “Proper synchronization of your internal biological rhythms with the earth’s daily rotation has been shown to be essential for health.”

Financial Benefits

Increased natural light also has financial benefits for employers.

• Saves money by reducing the need for artificial lighting
•  Cuts down on employee turnover by providing a better work environment
•  Reduces health care costs due to better overall health of employees

Conclusion

Natural light is better for everyone — workers and employers. “Exposure to natural light will put employees in a better mood,” Taub said.  “A happy employee is more likely to be productive, while less likely to quit his position with the company.”

There’s a real difference between Guardian Booth’s approach and that of competitors.  While working in the field, Breuer said, “we came across some guard booths on the market are literally made from porta-pottys or shipping containers and they add windows to call it a booth.”  That doesn’t lead to a good working environment. Guardian Booths have been designed from beginning to
end with the user in mind.

We can help you make a good decision about what type of guard booth, security enclosure, parking booth, or ticket booth you need.  For pricing information or for more information, visit our pricing page or contact us directly.

Q & A

Why is natural light for guard booths an important consideration? 

Natural light for guard booths provides a range of health benefits for security personnel, including improved mood, improved health and healing, and better nighttime sleep quality. It can also enhance visibility, allowing guards to better monitor their surroundings.

How many windows should be installed in a guard booth? And what types of windows are recommended for guard booths?

The number of windows recommended will depend on the size and layout of the booth, as well as the specific needs of the security personnel. However, adding multiple windows can help to provide optimal natural light and visibility. For security reasons, tempered or laminated glass is often recommended for guard booth windows. These types of glass are more durable and less likely to break, providing an added layer of protection for guards.

Can tinted windows be installed in guard booths? 

Yes, tinted windows can be installed in guard booths to help reduce glare and improve privacy. However, it’s important to ensure that the tinting does not impair visibility or compromise security.

Are there any special considerations for installing windows in guard booths in extreme weather conditions? 

In areas with extreme temperatures or harsh weather conditions, double-paned windows can help to provide better insulation and protection against the elements, while weather-resistant frames can prevent water damage and other issues.