Quality lighting has a huge effect on the performance of employees. However, lighting is often low on the list of priorities when offices have an upgrade, despite the fact that people spend so many daytime hours at work. Good workplace lighting provides numerous benefits for the business and employees. Aside from its aesthetic advantages, good lighting contributes to the employees’ productivity in the office.

The Effects of Poor Lighting

Bad lighting can negatively affect your staff’s efficiency and morale. According to studies, inadequate lighting gives a poor response to the remedy of mental ailments, such as mood swings, and can also intensify the condition. For example, fluorescent flicker is known to cause migraines and gloomy lighting can cause depression.

Aside from the psychological toll, physical issues such as eye strain, screen glare and headache worsen your employees’ ability to work effectively. The quality of work will suffer when people strain to see in poor lighting as this leads to drowsiness and even postural and musculoskeletal disorders. These effects can put a strain on your employees’ overall health and can lead to more serious health issues.

Having good lighting doesn’t mean that you have to provide an excessively bright lighting system. If there’s too much light, it can impair and distract your worker’s vision.

Good lighting is especially important in environments such as factory floors and warehouses to help prevent trips, falls and accidents.

Recommendations

In the UK, there are currently no legal regulations for workplace lighting but there are official recommendations for the lighting required in your specific business. Quality lighting is relevant to the type of work done in your profession. If your business operates in a hazardous enviroment illuminance of 50 lux is recommended. If your employees require concentration on small details, illuminance can go as high as 500 lux.

Types of Lighting and Their Effects with Employees

• Natural Lighting

Daytime work hours give you the natural lighting in your office so make sure that the windows are not obstructed. Having natural lighting as the primary source of illumination can aid your employees to be in sync with their own built-in clocks and be more productive during the day.

Studies have found that office workers who work with natural light exposure have better performance on physical activity, better sleep quality and better quality of life. In contrast with their colleagues who work in an artificial setting where there are no windows, the added light exposure will help to give a more positive outlook on life and help to maintain a healthier body.

• Blue Lighting

Blue wavelength lights, according to a study, increase employees’ reaction times and aid with a faster completion of cognitive tests. Moreover, the results of the tests were found to be precise. These effects may continue up to 40 minutes after exposure from blue lights. However, blue lighting should only be used as a boost before midday as using it at night can disrupt sleep cycles.

• Dim Lighting

Excessive light can distract employees and takes them longer to readjust and work on tasks. Dim lighting can increase people’s creativity which is why this type of lighting is best used in businesses that require creative minds.

EESI design and install lighting and power solutions as well as maintaining and upgrading existing buildings’ light fittings, bulbs/panels and control systems.

We ensure that your workplace’s internal and external lighting is compliant, reliable and efficient to provide your workforce with a conducive and safe work environment. Furthermore, we use the latest LED technology to maximise efficiency savings. Contact us on 01453 821 550 or email us at info@eesi.co.uk if you have any enquiries and a friendly member of the team will reach out to you promptly.