Lighting has no less of an impact on comfort in the workplace than the ergonomics, seating, desk, storage, and ventilation. The illuminance, colour and power of the light sources all play a vital part in ensuring full visibility and maximising office workers' concentration.
Bright, high-quality lighting is essential in an office, promising excellent reading comfort and avoiding visual fatigue. Here are some criteria for measuring the quality of your office lighting and its importance, including luminance, uniformity, and colours.
When defining your lighting requirements, think about the work being carried out and the location of the workspaces.
Within the 1974 Health & Safety at Work Act, employers must provide lighting sufficient that work can be safely undertaken. Additionally, it stipulates that an employee’s eyesight or health should not be placed at risk due to insufficient illumination.
More specifically, regulation number eight of the Workplace Regulations Act 1992 states that employers must ensure that:
- The work area has sufficient and suitable lighting
- This should be natural light, where reasonably practical
- Sufficient and suitable emergency lighting shall be provided where needed
Different activities require different lighting levels. In general, the more detailed the task, the greater the light requirement. A process control room should be lit at an illuminance of 300 lux, a corridor or walkway may only require 50 lux, whilst studying an engineering drawing may require 750 lux (see HSG38 Lighting at Work).
Depending on your specifications, you can opt for ceiling lights, desk lamps, wall lights or floor lights. While ceiling lights can illuminate the entire room, desk lamps increase the light intensity on the desk or workspace itself.