EFFECT OF EYE STRAIN

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3280, 25 June 1943, Page 3

EFFECT OF EYE STRAIN

COLOURS TO BLAME ABSENTEEISM IN FACTORIES In many British war factories the women workers were irritable. They had headaches. Their "fingers fumbled They were easily fatigued. Absenteeism was high. Investigating British scientists, who wanted to step up production, found colour was to blame. They experimented in 20 such factories and then announced triumphantly that complaints of absenteeism had ceased, and production had rocketed. Some of the tests were: — Girls working on general office accounting machines suffered continually from nervous tension and irritability. They felt better when the glaring white walls were repainted a bluishgreen. The' white walls in the drafting room of another factory were repainted dove grey. Girl employees ceased to have headaches. Girls were falling asleep over b .-aches in a hosiery mill turning out woollen socks for soldiers. The job was to loop a. thread through superfine needles. Sleepiness ended when the benches were equipped with grey-blue sides and back panels. Accideht rates, both for men and women, dropped when machinery was painted a neutral colour, such as y -x--low or grey. Other amenities introduced into factories to prevent absenteeism were: Hairdressing saloons for men, beauty parlours for women. These will probably become standard throughout the country.