Counteracting night work fatigue
and improving night shift worker performance.
GreenLIGHT management of the body clock for Night Shift Adaptation
Fatigue is increasingly recognized as a major problem in work places requiring night work. Maintaining alertness at night is crucial in environments where impaired judgment can put safety at risk. Working at night also adversely affects the health and well being of workers. The problems of working at night are related to the misalignment of workers' internal body clock with their activities. Night shift workers have to fight their bodies' tendency to sleep and repair itself while they are working, and then try to sleep during the day when the brain is alert and the cardiovascular system is up-regulated. Trials in the workplace have shown that Sunnex Biotechnologies low intensity GreenLIGHT System can be used in all manner of workplaces to align night workers' body clocks with their night work schedule and alleviate the problems caused by working at night.
The GreenLIGHT System is the Optimal Tool to Enhance Night Work Performance
Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT System incorporates a patented low-intensity green visible light technology that was patented to provide comfortable lighting that is safe and effective for night work adaptation. While white light has often been used in research laboratories to demonstrate the benefits of aligning night workers' circadian rhythms with their work schedules, the brightness of white light needed to accomplish this, 5,000 to 10,000 lux, makes it impractical to use in real world workplaces. Additionally many workers find light of that brightness distracting and difficult to tolerate. Attempts to use moderate levels of white light, in the range of 1,000 - 2000 lux have been found to be not effective. Sunnex Biotechnologies low-intensity green light technology (under 400 lux) regulates human circadian rhythms to an equivalent extent as does 5,000 - 10,000 lux of white light.
The Canadian Defence Department's R&D Centre and the U.S. Air Force have jointly conducted independent studies to select and test the optimal phototherapeutic device to improve performance in a night work adaptation program. These studies utilzed the expertise of a recognized authority on all aspects of light therapy, Dr. J Arendt of Surrey University. The original study, comparing Lo-LIGHT lamps with high intensity devices concluded: "The [Sunnex Biotechnologies] light tower was the best device, producing melatonin suppression and circadian phase change while relatively free of side effects." Subsequent studies published by this group, demonstrated the effectiveness of low intensity GreenLIGHT for controlling human circadian physiology. See studies with Lo-LIGHT lamps for countering nighttime fatigue and improving alertness.
The GreenLIGHT System tested in independent research facilities.
Lo-LIGHT lamps were used by Harvard University for the 105-Day Mars Mission collaboration with the European Space agency at the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems. Dr. C.A. Czeisler, Head of the Department of Sleep Medicine at Harvard University, indicated in comments regarding the multi-year study for NASA with low-intensity GreenLIGHT lamps, "In addition to benefits for NASA flight personnel this technology will also have application to shift-workers, to jet travelers, and to any personnel who need to shift the timing of their biological rhythms." More at GreenLIGHT used in studies for NASA and the NSBRI.
GreenLIGHT technology in the U.S.C.G's CEMS program as a Fatigue Countermeasure
For several years the U.S. Coast Guard R&D Center tested the effectiveness of Lo-LIGHT lamps for suppressing melatonin and for shifting circadian rhythms to align the internal body clock of night workers with their work schedule. Trials were conducted on operational Coast Guard cutters and commercial vessels with GreenLIGHT lamps, and the protocols for the Coast Guard's Crew Endurance Management System (CEMS) were developed based on these trials.
In collaboration with American Waterways Operators, the U.S. Coast Guard recommended
the implementation of the CEMS program on commercial inland and coastal tow boats to counter accidents
caused by crew fatigue working at night, as well as to improve the health and well being of these
crew members. Because low intensity GreenLIGHT lamps are adaptable to most workplace environments,
they were even used in wheelhouses of vessels operating on dark rivers to improve alertness
and performance of boat captains driving these vessels at night.
For marine applications
Click Here
The GreenLIGHT System is Suitable for Any Work Site and Flexible on the Job
In today's 24-7 world alertness is essential for operating complex equipment, and judgments made in the control room can have a major impact on operational safety. An effective light management program can be very flexible and be implemented in a manner that does not interfere with workplace activities. Exposure need not be continuous, and effective lighting can be applied indirectly, without looking directly at the light source.
Whether in a lumber mill or in a nuclear power plant, low intensity light management with the GreenLIGHT System can help make a healthier and more productive work environment for night shift workers. As part of a night work counter-fatigue program, the GreenLIGHT System can be used to improve alertness and performance on the job, while countering the adverse health effects associated with night shift work.
The GreenLIGHT System is Safe for the Eyes
The GreenLIGHT System provides a
low-intensity, non-UV light source that filters out the harmful wavelengths of visible light,
the blue rays. Blue light is the most hazardous part of visible light, causing oxidative
damage in the retina and potentially contributing to the development of age-related blindness.
By eliminating the "blue light hazard", this low-intensity green light technology eliminates
the risk of eye damage inherent from repetitious exposure to bright or blue light. The
GreenLIGHT System is therefore suitable for all users,
irrespective of age or ocular condition.
To see a product list of GreenLIGHT fixtures
Click Here
GLS Eyewear: An Essential Part of the GreenLIGHT System
The GreenLIGHT System can improve nighttime performance due to its effect on the internal body clock. In order to maintain the benefit of the nighttime exposure to GreenLIGHT, exposure to sunlight, which can counter-act night time GreenLIGHT exposure, must be minimized. Sunnex Biotechnologies has developed fashionable GLS Eyewear for workers who will be exposed to sunlight while on the job, traveling home from work, or conducting normal daytime activities, and still maintain the benefits of nighttime GreenLIGHT exposure. This unique eyewear is an essential part of the GreenLIGHT System, blocking the opposing effect of sunlight while allowing normal activity and travel during the day.
GreenLIGHT System Custom Solutions
A variety of fixtures are available in the
GreenLIGHT System. Since each individual workplace contains unique work environments
and working conditions, we recommend that independent experts be consulted to help integrate
this technology in your workplace. These experts should be familiar with the GreenLIGHT System
and be able to into a fatigue countermeasures program to improve the health and performance
of night workers. The customized integration of Lo-LIGHT
lamps and GLS eyewear into your work environment.
To see a list of GreenLIGHT products
Click Here
