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Title: Worker performance and ventilation: Analyses of individual data for call-center workers

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between ventilation rates and work performance in a call center. We randomized the ventilation controls and measured ventilation rate, differential carbon dioxide ({Delta}CO{sub 2}) concentration, temperature, humidity, occupant density, degree of under-staffing, shift length, time of day, and time required to complete two different work performance tasks (talk and wrap-up). {Delta}CO{sub 2} concentrations ranged from 13 to 611 ppm. We used multi-variable regression to model the association between the predictors and the responses. We found that agents performed talk tasks fastest when the ventilation rate was highest, but that the relationship between talk performance and ventilation was not monotone. We did not find a statistically significant association between wrap-up performance and ventilation. At high temperatures agents were slower at both the talk and wrap-up tasks. Agents were slower at wrap-up during long shifts and when the call center was under-staffed.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs. Office of Building Research and Standards; Center for the Built Environment at U.C. Berkeley (US)
OSTI Identifier:
795377
Report Number(s):
LBNL-50124
R&D Project: 575402; TRN: US200212%%102
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Apr 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; OFFICE BUILDINGS; THERMAL COMFORT; PRODUCTIVITY; AIR FLOW; FLOW RATE; CARBON DIOXIDE; HUMIDITY; OCCUPANTS; PERFORMANCE; VENTILATION

Citation Formats

Federspiel, C C, Liu, G, Lahiff, M, Faulkner, D, Dibartolomeo, D L, Fisk, W J, Price, P N, and Sullivan, D P. Worker performance and ventilation: Analyses of individual data for call-center workers. United States: N. p., 2002. Web. doi:10.2172/795377.
Federspiel, C C, Liu, G, Lahiff, M, Faulkner, D, Dibartolomeo, D L, Fisk, W J, Price, P N, & Sullivan, D P. Worker performance and ventilation: Analyses of individual data for call-center workers. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/795377
Federspiel, C C, Liu, G, Lahiff, M, Faulkner, D, Dibartolomeo, D L, Fisk, W J, Price, P N, and Sullivan, D P. 2002. "Worker performance and ventilation: Analyses of individual data for call-center workers". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/795377. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/795377.
@article{osti_795377,
title = {Worker performance and ventilation: Analyses of individual data for call-center workers},
author = {Federspiel, C C and Liu, G and Lahiff, M and Faulkner, D and Dibartolomeo, D L and Fisk, W J and Price, P N and Sullivan, D P},
abstractNote = {We investigated the relationship between ventilation rates and work performance in a call center. We randomized the ventilation controls and measured ventilation rate, differential carbon dioxide ({Delta}CO{sub 2}) concentration, temperature, humidity, occupant density, degree of under-staffing, shift length, time of day, and time required to complete two different work performance tasks (talk and wrap-up). {Delta}CO{sub 2} concentrations ranged from 13 to 611 ppm. We used multi-variable regression to model the association between the predictors and the responses. We found that agents performed talk tasks fastest when the ventilation rate was highest, but that the relationship between talk performance and ventilation was not monotone. We did not find a statistically significant association between wrap-up performance and ventilation. At high temperatures agents were slower at both the talk and wrap-up tasks. Agents were slower at wrap-up during long shifts and when the call center was under-staffed.},
doi = {10.2172/795377},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/795377}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 2002},
month = {Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 2002}
}