Environmental Data Monitoring in the RW@W Project: Understanding the Microclimate to Improve Workplace Well-Being

As part of the RW@W: Resilience and Wellness at Work project, Smartex continues its commitment to promoting well-being in healthcare environments through the integration of objective physiological measurements and environmental monitoring. A key focus of this research phase is the analysis of microclimatic conditions in the healthcare facility Don Gnocchi of Florence, where the experimentation phase took place.

The Importance of Microclimate in Occupational Health

Temperature, humidity, air velocity, radiant heat: those parameters influence the physical comfort of workers, their cognitive performance, fatigue, and emotional balance. So, in order to read and understand fully the data of our system, taking into consideration this type of variables was noteworthy. 

Scientific literature and national safety regulations (such as D.Lgs. 81/08 and the INAIL guidelines on microclimate evaluation) underline that even moderate deviations from comfort can generate discomfort or health risks. Monitoring these variables is therefore essential for designing safer and more sustainable workplaces.

The HD32.3TC Climate Monitoring Station

To collect accurate environmental data, the RW@W project employs the HD32.3TC microclimatic station, a high-precision, portable system compliant with the main international ergonomic standards (ISO 7730, ISO 7243, ISO 7726, ISO 8996, ISO 11079).

The station measures real-time parameters such as:

• Air temperature and humidity

• Air velocity and radiant temperature

• PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) 

• PPD (Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied) 

• WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) 

These measurements provide a quantitative picture of environmental comfort, which can then be correlated with the physiological signals acquired by the Smartex wearable system. The integration of these datasets allows researchers to identify stress patterns linked to both internal (biological) and external (environmental) factors.

Towards a Reference Index for Resilience

The ultimate goal of this integrated analysis is to build a reference index capable of predicting critical working conditions. Within RW@W’s experimental protocol, the environmental data are synchronized with individual physiological indicators collected from healthcare operators in different departments.

By combining the two dimensions, the project aims to develop predictive tools for occupational health, supporting medical staff, risk prevention teams, and safety managers in real-time decision-making.

Results and Next Steps

Following the initial data collection phase, the RW@W protocol has been presented and discussed in two iterations with the Ethics Committee of Florence, ensuring full compliance with ethical and procedural standards. A feasibility study has been implemented, followed by testing and adaptation of the experimental protocol to real-world healthcare scenarios.

These steps represent a crucial transition from theoretical design to applied research, validating both the technical reliability of the monitoring system and the usability of the data for future large-scale deployment.

Innovation for a Healthier Work Environment

The environmental monitoring activities of RW@W demonstrate how ergonomics, digital technology, and data science can converge to improve human well-being at work.RW@W confirms Smartex’s mission: turning innovation into a concrete instrument of care, where data, technology, and people collaborate to build safer, more sustainable, and more human workplaces.

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