Sufficient light in the office Good lighting in the workplace is good for your health

Avoid accidents by having enough light in the workplace

Sufficient lighting in the workplace not only prevents eye discomfort in the office, but also prevents accidents. Because with too little light we tire faster. The concentration also decreases. This increases the risk of accidents.

Work can make you sick

Long working hours and constant stress at work make more and more people physically and mentally ill. To counteract illnesses caused by the job, experts recommend, among other things, to ensure good ergonomics in the workplace, for example, to prevent back pain. Important is also a good lighting. This not only reduces the risk of eye irritation but also reduces the risk of accidents. This is indicated by the Austrian General Accident Insurance Institute (AUVA).

By providing enough light at the workplace, not only does it prevent health problems, it also reduces the risk of accidents. (Image: contrastwerkstatt / fotolia.com)

Adjustment of the lighting

Light and lighting not only affect safety at work, but also health and performance.

We need good light to see well. This light can be the sun as a natural source (exposure) or artificially created (lighting).

The intensity of light and lighting is measured in lux. On a sunny summer's day, it is around 100,000 lux in the open air; on a bleak winter's day, it measures only about 5,000 lux.

A well-lit office should have at least 500 lux at the workplace, while testing and control workplaces usually need significantly more lighting.

Reflections or glare from light can affect employees. Glare is experienced as very unpleasant and not only leads to health problems of the eyes, but can also have an unpleasant effect on body posture.

The constant, often unnoticeable adjustments of the eyes to the different brightnesses in the workplace and its surroundings can lead to an overload of the eye muscles. Dry eyes, headaches or neck tension are often the result.

Light requirements increase with age

Age also plays a role in lighting and lighting. "With increasing age, the need for light increases significantly," said AUVA prevention expert Michael Wichtl.

"Around the age of 40, all people begin to notice a noticeable, slowly worsening of their vision, and at around 50, visual acuity drops significantly."

The expert continued, "As age advances, more constraints are added, but these changes vary from person to person - ergonomically well-designed workplaces are suitable for all ages and will not affect work performance at any age."

Good lighting mood ensures well-being

The spectral composition of light plays an important role not only for the visual function - it also influences the inner clock of the human being. Special sensory cells on the retina are responsible for this, and they react particularly sensitively to the amount of blue in the daylight.

In order to benefit from this effect, it is particularly important that daylight in its natural course reach the workspaces more strongly.

Even after careful lighting planning, the spectral composition of the artificial lighting can be adapted to the course of daylight.

In addition, a good lighting mood can make our environment pleasant and promote well-being and motivation at work.

Many companies use an appropriate color and lighting environment for work and break rooms to support both the performance and the recreational effect of workers through the effects of light.

Poor lighting leads to higher error rates

"The error rate is increased by poorly lit workplaces, which make it difficult for us to distinguish between objects. The same applies to glare or reflections, for example, on screens that can be created by too bright windows or walls, "said Wichtl.

"Small and simple ergonomic measures can often optimize the lighting situation at workplaces. For example, images or other wall paint can break through white walls or bright surfaces that strongly reflect light. "(Ad)