If you own a steel-framed warehousing facility that does not have many windows, you may want to consider adding on a sunroom so your employees can spend some time in natural sunlight when they take breaks. Here's why and who you'll need to hire to build a sunroom addition onto your manufacturing facility.

Getting Into Circadian Rhythm to Improve Productivity

When your employees are inside the warehouse for an entire shift during their shifts, the lack of natural sunlight can affect their body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock, which uses sunlight and darkness to regulate it. When the circadian rhythm is altered, it can decrease productivity in your employees.

Build a sunroom addition that will be used as a breakroom. Encourage your employees to utilize the sunroom for their lunch breaks by placing tables and chairs in the sunroom. Install several vending machines and a countertop area where they can prepare their food. That way, they'll get 30-60 minutes of exposure to sunlight, which will help regulate their internal clock.

Team Work Makes the Dream Work

Obviously, for safety reasons you'll want the walls and roofing of the breakroom to be made of steel framing and tempered glass, which will give your employees a safe, sheltered, and sun-filled room where they can bask in the sun to rejuvenate their circadian rhythm during their breaks. To accomplish this, you'll need to hire the following people:

• the local building code authority. First, you'll need to figure out what changes you are allowed to make to your building based on the zoning and building code laws and regulations in your area. This will give you an understanding of where you'll be able to place the sunroom on the property.
• a structural engineer. A structural engineer will need to assess the condition of the current structure and grounds to determine the most suitable location for the sunroom. He or she may also recommend adding structural supports to the existing building where the opening for the sunroom entrance will be made.
• a metal fabrication company. Hire a metal fabrication company to design and build the steel structure of the sunroom addition as well as any structural supports that may be needed in the existing steel building. This company will work closely with the local building code authority and the structural engineer to develop plans for the structure and begin fabricating the metal pieces for it. Of course, they will also likely subcontract with a glassier for the glass inserts since ordering custom-made glass inserts for a custom-designed, steel-framed sunroom enclosure requires industry knowledge and is something that shouldn't be left for the customer to do.
• a fire and life safety systems expert. You'll also need to hire a fire and life safety systems expert to determine if any improvements will need to be done to your current fire and life safety systems due to the changes that will be made. Any time changes are made to the structure of a building, such as if an opening is made in a wall and an addition is built, the dynamics in the way air moves inside the facility may change. Because of this, the building's ventilation and fire sprinkler systems may need to be adjusted.
  • After the sunroom addition has been built and the fire and life safety systems have been improved, the local fire chief will need to perform an inspection of the facility before you will be able to continue operating your business. He or she will look for things such as emergency exits, evacuation plans, safety systems, combustible materials, and structural integrity of your steel building and sunroom addition.

By giving your employees a sunroom to take their breaks in, you should hopefully see some improvement in their productivity. For more information and assistance, talk with the contractors and officials listed above by visiting companies in your area, like Moorhead Machinery & Boiler Co..