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).