Improper Lighting And Glare Can Cause Strain

Improper lighting can cause eye strain and headaches, but did you know that it can contribute to strain on the neck, shoulders and back that often results from sitting incorrectly in order to see better or to avoid glare from improper lighting.

Too Much Light Or Not Enough?

Low lighting vision accommodations such as leaning forward in the chair, bending the neck downward to view documents, and extending the head forward to see the monitor are common. These awkward working postures reverse the natural curvature of the head and neck, push the spine out of alignment and add significant stress to the neck and shoulders.

In contrast, high luminance environments may cause direct glare and excessive light contributing to eye strain, headaches and other visual discomforts. Older offices and facilities were designed before employees used computers extensively. The lighting was designed around working with paper documents not computers, and the belief that more is better. Fluorescent light fixtures lined the ceilings in nice even rows most likely providing more light than needed and little or no flexibility for the user.

Proper Lighting Considerations

Determining the proper lighting for an area must take several factors into consideration including the nature of the work, the work environments, daytime or nighttime lighting needs and glare or reflections from both inside and outside. Other factors must be considered to determine the correct amount of lighting for an individual. Adjustments may need to be made based on the age of the worker, the task being performed and the size of the work area.

The eye changes with time, and by the time most people reach their forties, they will likely notice deterioration in eyesight. In addition to glasses, they may require more light to be able to carry out the same tasks. The need for light increases dramatically as we age. A person in his/her forties requires double the amount of light as a 20 year old.The high contrast between light and dark areas of the computer screen, your desktop or horizontal work surface, and the surrounding areas can cause eye fatigue and headaches.

In order to address the needs of a varying employee base and the variety of tasks performed, individual adjustable lighting should be considered. Different people want and need different levels of lighting. For optimal productivity, providing individual lighting allows each person to control the light levels in their own workstation to best meet their needs.  

Correct lighting simply helps users work better and be more productive.  In addition, light influences people. The right lighting can have significant influences on you and your employees.

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