We at Glaston make machines. Still there is also a higher purpose to why these machines are being made and used. I always like to say that we are in the business of making the world a safer and more beautiful place. Recently, though, I learned I should add couple more aspects to my list.

Here are a couple of interesting points about how our business, the glass business, dramatically increases the general well-being of humans:

1. Workplace and education

In offices, people are fighting for the “window seat”. And there is a good reason for that. There is an increasing amount of research that shows how exposure to daylight is beneficial to health and productivity due to its effects on mood, alertness and metabolism.

In an educational environment, these effects provide calmness and an increased ability to focus.

2. Healthcare

This is an area that many glass suppliers are looking at for growth. Research shows that daylight exposure provides a reduction in the average hospital stay length, quicker post-operation recovery, less need for pain relief as well as disinfectant qualities. It also has an effect on obesity and heart disease through the impact on metabolism.

Wow! Go outside when you are sick! Glass in healthcare and its impact on all of our lives is a big topic at the moment. The research is very compelling.

3. Residential buildings and our homes

Naturally, the same benefits apply to our home environment as well. If we look at buildings in general, we have a huge opportunity to integrate daylight control together with inside lighting to provide constantly optimal conditions. Plus, there’s the possibility of integrating the amount of heat transfer from outside to the heating and cooling solutions inside the building itself. Here is the future picture we all should see.

HAIL TO THE GLASS!

The daylight impact on our lives is huge. I believe only in recent years that we have fully comprehended the benefits and possibilities. For an idea to be successful, it doesn’t always has to be a big innovation. I will give you an interesting example from Japan. Until recently, it was relatively common for ladies to wear long-sleeved gloves for UV protection while driving to avoid getting tanned, and of course, to protect themselves from the hazardous UV light. Just lately, the glass industry woke up to say: “Hey, we can put a UV light protective coating on glass to do the same.” That innovation became a big success – not only for Japanese cars.

Remember, we are not just processing glass or making machinery. We are making the world a safer, more beautiful, healthier and more productive place to spend our lives.

 

Sources and further reading:

[1] Report: The distinctive benefits of glazing. Davind Strong Consulting. 2012. Glass for Europe. Link to report.

[2] Daylight benefits in healthcare buildings. Prof. DTG Strong. 2014.  Link to Article.

 

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