Office Lighting Ideas

Lighting is an important factor for an office environment. It can have an effect on employees comfort. Inadequate lighting can cause visual discomfort, fatigue, eyestrain and headaches. Lighting problems can occur in any office but tends to be more common for office PC users.
Before the days of Computers, there was a need for high levels of illumination, due to the usage of typewriters and manual book entries. Today, the modern office tends to rely on computers which do not need such a high level of lighting. Offices which are mainly computerised should have as low a level of lighting as possible because too much light can make the visual display unit (VDU) harder to see.
Other common problems are glare. Glare is produced when the levels of light are greater than a level at which the eye has already adapted to. The usual effects of excessive glare are eyestrain, visual fatigue and could lead to headaches.

So, how do you create the perfect lighting for your office?

Overhead lights can be used in rows as long as the computer workstations are placed between the rows. This will help reduce any glare and intensity of the light source. Windows should also be taken into account when placing your equipment. Workstations are best placed at right angles, so that no operator has their back to or face a window, therefore moving the light source - daylight - out of the line of sight. If this is a problem, office screens can be used to block daylight.

For reading and writing, adjustable task lights or desk lights can be placed on the desk to provide additional light when needed. Floor standing lamps are also a good source of light which will free up valuable work space on the desk.

For making the office seem cooler in summer, try using iridescent blue coloured light bulbs. In the winter, amber light bulbs will add a warm feeling to cold offices.