Light management for counteracting night work fatigue and circadian maladaption
Light Management for Night Shift Adaptation
The GreenLIGHT System is the Optimal Tool to Enhance Nightwork Performance
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 misalingnment of the workers' internal body clock with their activities. Night 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 brain is alert and the cardiovascular system is up-regulated. Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT System
is the only practical technology that can be used in the workplace to align the night worker's body clock with the
night work schedule, and thereby alleviate the problems caused by working at night.
Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT System utilizes a patented low-intensity narrow spectrum technology.
While white light is often used in research trials to demonstrate the benefits of aligning circadian rhythms with night work
schedules, these studies have determined that intensities between 5,000 and 10,000 lux of white
light are most successful in effectively shifting the human body clock to align it with a night
work schedule. However, this high intensity of light is generally not practical in the
workplace, and may be harmful to the eye. Moderate levels of white light intensity in the range of 1,000 - 2000
lux were found to be not effective. Sunnex Biotechnologies' GreenLIGHT System utilizes a patented
low-intensity light technology (under 300 lux) that shifts 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 recently conducted an independent study to select the optimal
phototherapeutic device to improve performance in a night work adaptation program. The study, comparing
the low intensity Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT tower model with higher 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."
See Studies with GreenLIGHT in the Workplace
More recently, GreenLIGHT lamps were selected for the 105-Day Mars Mission that took place in the
spring/summer of 2009. As Dr. C.A. Czeisler of Harvard University stated in a press release by National
Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), "Based on previous laboratory studies, we anticipate that
during exposure to the shorter wavelength green light that melatonin will be significantly suppressed,
resulting in better performance during overnight work," Czeisler said. "The findings will have direct
application to night-shift workers." See
105-Day Mars Simulation: U.S. Studies Focus on Improving Work Performance
GreenLIGHT Technology in the U.S. Coast Guard's CEMS program as a Fatigue Countermeasure
For several years the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center
tested the effectiveness of low intensity green light for suppressing melatonin and shifting circadian rhythms to
align the internal body clock of night workers with their work schedule. Trials were conducted on operating Coast Guard
cutters and commercial vessels with GreenLIGHT lamps provided by Sunnex Biotechnologies and protocols for a Crew
Endurance Management System (CEMS) were developed based on the results of these trials with GreenLIGHT lamps.
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 fatigue during the night,
as well as to improve the health and well being of crew members working at night. The objectiove of CEMS is to increase
operational safety and crew alertness on commercial vessels operating on inland and coastal waterways. Because low intensity
GreenLIGHT lamps are adaptable to most workplace envoironments, they are even being used in the wheelhouses of
vessels operating on rivers at night to improve the alertness and performance of boat Captains driving these vessels at night.
For maritime vessel applications
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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 the need to look directly at the light source.
Whether in a lumber mill or in a nuclear power plant, Sunnex Biotechnologies light management with
low intensity GreenLIGHT System can help provide 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
Sunnex Biotechnologies' GreenLIGHT System provides a low-intensity, non-UV light source that filters out the harmful wavelengths of visible light, the blue rays, contained in white and full-spectrum lighting. Blue light is the most hazardous form of visible light, causing oxidative damage in the retina and 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.
Sunnex Biotechnologies' GLS Eyewear: An Essential Part of the GreenLIGHT System
The Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT System improves nighttime performance due to its effect on the internal body clock.
In order to maintain the benefit of the nighttime exposure to the Sunnex green light, exposure to morning sunlight, which can
counter-act the night time light exposure, must be minimized. Sunnex Biotechnologies has developed fashionable GLS Eyewear
that can be incorporated into the GreenLIGHT System for workers who will be exposed to morning sunlight, either while on the
job on while traveling home from work. This unique eyewear is an essential part of the GreenLIGHT System, blocking the
opposing effect of morning sunlight while allowing normal activity and travel
GreenLIGHT System Custom Solutions
A variety of fixtures are available to be utilized in Sunnex Biotechnologies 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 Sunnex Biotechnologies
patented technology and be able to integrate the GreenLIGHT System into a fatigue countermeasures program to improve
workplace safety and the health and performance of night workers. The customized integration of GreenLIGHT System lighting
and eyewear into your work environment is the final essential component of Sunnex Biotechnologies' Green-Light System.
To see a product list of GreenLIGHT fixtures
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