Proper Lighting Setup in the Workplace
Lighting is a very important aspect of a healthy working
environment and is often overlooked as an aspect of workspace
design. The lighting at your workstation depends on the type of
job you are involved in. Do use bright lights with a large
lighted area while working with printed materials. Limit the
brightness of light for computer tasks. You should be able to
adjust the position and angle of the light sources, as well as
their intensity levels and the light should have a hood or
filter to allow for diffusion or direction. Lastly, the base of
the light should be large enough to allow a variety of
convenient positions or extensions.
Eye fatigue is one of the most common problems encountered in
the workplace and there are many ways to combat this problem
** It is ideal to place lights parallel to your line of sight in
different rows.
** Try to use light diffusers so that you can do the desk jobs
like writing, reading papers etc. while limiting direct
brightness on the computer screen.
** While using 4-bulb fluorescent light fixtures, it is ideal to
remove the middle bulbs to reduce the brightness of the light to
levels well suited with computer tasks, if diffusers or
alternative light sources are not available.
** You need to have good desk lighting for proper illumination
while writing and reading tasks thus limiting brightness around
monitors.
** Generally, for paper tasks and offices with CRT displays,
office lighting should range between 20 to 50 foot-candles. For
LCD monitors, higher levels of light are usually needed for the
same viewing tasks (up to 73 foot-candles).