Your workspace’s lighting has a direct impact on your employee’s mood, energy level, and productivity. Dim lighting could make your staff feel sluggish and irritable. On the other side, too bright lighting may strain their eyes, perhaps inducing migraines, and will interfere with their body’s circadian rhythm cycles. The optimal lighting for the environment enables your personnel to remain attentive, creative, enthusiastic, and mentally prepared to offer their all. However, striking a balance between too dark and too bright may be challenging. In this article, we will discuss the importance of lighting as well as how to transform your office with modern lighting.
Standards for Office Lighting
The United States General Services Administration (GSA) establishes minimum standards for office lighting in the United States. According to their website, A typical workstation needs 500 lumens per sq. meter.
That may sound like a lot or may make no sense at all if you’re unfamiliar with lumens, but it translates to the following: each 6’x6′ (or 36 square-foot) area should get the equivalent light of a 35-watt incandescent bulb.
To put this into context, the majority of desk lamps use a 60-watt bulb that delivers 800 lumens.
Additionally, the GSA establishes other office lighting requirements, including the following:
- The most basic recommended solution is fluorescent ceiling lighting and bulbs.
- The lighting design should give an equal illumination level across the office space.
- Choose from a variety of task lighting solutions to fill up any gaps.
- Reduce shadows by adjusting lighting options.
Effects Of Poor Lighting In A Office
Migraines And Headaches
Harsh overhead office lighting is often considered a contributing factor to migraines and headaches if a person suffers from headaches or migraines while on the job, it may cause them pain and impair their ability to be productive or motivated.
And if the individual needs medical treatment for their health, it might have a negative impact on the company’s overall productivity.
Eye Strain
If a computer operator who spends their days gazing at a bright computer screen is affected by bad office lighting, it may inflict additional strain on their eyes.
This inconvenient combination may impair an individual’s ability to focus, reducing their productivity.
Drowsiness And Fatigue
More often than not, exhausted or fatigued workers would seek distractions such as listening to music to keep them motivated throughout the day. An alternate lighting scheme, on the other hand, might assist in avoiding such occurrences, boosting an employee’s drive to continue working.
Insufficient Or Inadequate Sleep
The human body has a circadian rhythm, which is an internal clock activated by natural light and to which our body reacts throughout the day. This is because our bodies are inherently sensitive to sunlight patterns.
Therefore, your staff will feel more inspired and invigorated if you can transform your office with modern lighting during regular business hours.
This improves their quality of sleep at night, resulting in longer, more restful evenings and more productive days.
How To Choose The Right Office Lighting
Assess Office Space
The first step in selecting the appropriate office lighting is to do an examination of your environment.
Take note of the natural light source and if there is enough natural light to lower (or perhaps turn off) artificial lighting during the day’s brightest hours.
Consider the following:
- Is there sufficient existing light to fulfill basic standards?
- Are you able to improve upon the current arrangement?
- Glare from lighting
- Staffs comfort
Types Of Lighting
There are many options to transform your office with modern lighting, including the following:
- Direct
- Direct-Indirect
- Indirect
- Shielded
Direct lighting: Desk lamps or table lamps are most effective when used in conjunction with indirect lighting at individual workstations.
Direct indirect lighting: is most often used in manufacturing to eliminate glare. These project lights above and downward to provide uniform coverage throughout.
Indirect lighting: is most often utilized in office environments, directs illumination upward toward the ceiling, where it disperses more naturally across the whole room.
Shielded lighting: which is also used in offices, filters and distributes illumination by various covers and lenses to provide total coverage of a work area.
A mix of widely dispersed light sources (direct-indirect, indirect, or shielded) and direct task lighting works effectively in the majority of office situations.
Desk Lamps
As previously stated, to transform your office with modern lighting, it is recommended to complement any ambient light, whether from windows or overhead lights, with direct task lighting at each workstation.
This involves providing each team member with an easy-to-use, readily adjustable desk light that emits at least 500 lumens.
Modern Office Lighting At Marathon Building Environments
Exploring the many forms of lighting available might be difficult for those unfamiliar with interior design. At Marathon Building Environments, Our team of office interior experts is available to assist you. Contact us today, and we’ll guide you through the process of designing your next office lighting solution!