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

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/795377· OSTI ID:795377

Federspiel, C C ^[1]; Liu, G; Lahiff, M; Faulkner, D; Dibartolomeo, D L; Fisk, W J; Price, P N; Sullivan, D P

---

1. LBNL Library

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.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: 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)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 795377
• Report Number(s): LBNL--50124
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AIR FLOW
CARBON DIOXIDE
FLOW RATE
HUMIDITY
OCCUPANTS
OFFICE BUILDINGS
PERFORMANCE
PRODUCTIVITY
THERMAL COMFORT
VENTILATION