DEFINITION OF GOOD LIGHTING
Hyvä valaistus edistää työtehokkuutta ja työturvallisuutta sekä vähentää työvirheiden määrää. Näiden kriteereiden toteutumista on kuitenkin hankala mitata, joten käytännössä asia on määriteltävä monisanaisemmin.
Good lighting promotes work efficiency and safety while reducing the number of work errors. However, measuring the achievement of these criteria is difficult, so the matter must be defined in more detail in practice. Appropriate lighting consists of many things, with light quality and quantity being the most important. As daylight varies greatly depending on the time of day, the season, and the weather, lighting should be adjustable. Glare and reflection disrupt work and cause poor posture.
Factors of good lighting are:
EFFECTS OF LIGHTING
Light matters because both poor and good lighting affect people. Investing in proper lighting is cost-effective because the effects of poor lighting are negative, while those of good lighting are positive. A large amount of light increases work efficiency and reduces accidents, as well as improves the quality of work results.
Poor visual conditions cause eye problems and poor posture, which is more likely to happen when work requiring precision is done.
The amount of data processing errors is also greater in poor lighting. In addition, good lighting not only reduces the burden of work but also improves work efficiency, especially comfort and mood of workers.
Lighting is one of the biggest factors in the quality of work. Poor lighting causes exhaustion, which significantly reduces work capacity.
According to studies on office lighting, productivity increases by several percent when illumination is increased from about 500 lux to 1600 lux. It is possible to achieve an increase in productivity of even almost ten percent in tasks involving demanding visual tasks. At the same time, the number of errors may decrease by up to half. The effects of increasing illuminance are greater if the workers are older because their eyes require more light than young people. The effects of lighting should not be underestimated, and it is not advisable to try to save on lighting costs. Too often, the responsibility of lighting is left to those responsible for the building, and the views of those working under the lights are not necessarily taken into account.
THE IMPACT OF EYE FATIGUE ON WORK CAPACITY
Working in poor lighting causes fatigue because the eyes easily strain in insufficient light. Lighting should therefore be as appropriate as possible because tired eyes cause a clear decrease in work capacity.
FLICKER
The human eye does not have a good ability to sense rapid changes in light. The eye does not always notice the flicker of light, but the brain nevertheless perceives it. Such vibration disrupts concentration and in the most sensitive causes headaches or eye pain. Flicker is common in older light sources, but today's lights are generally flicker-free.
FATIGUE
Working in poor lighting tires the eyes more than working in good lighting. The need for eye adjustment is less with good lighting, and unnecessary eye movements are avoided. In good lighting, the strain on the eye muscles is minimal, so people stay more alert.
THE EFFECT OF LIGHT
The effect of light on human physiology has been extensively studied. Many health benefits and positive effects have been observed, such as the positive impact on mood.
Normal work lighting lacks the UV radiation typical of sunlight. However, light similar to artificial daylight has been found to increase alertness, performance, energy level, focus, visual acuity, color perception, and learning ability. The positive effect on mood is also extremely important.
Full-spectrum light improves work safety because it enables the world to be seen as well and correctly as possible. Daylight or artificial daylight should be preferred and utilized as much as possible.
FULL SPECTRUM LIGHT COMPARED TO YELLOWISH LIGHT
Yellow light easily causes glare, which can lead to color distortion, eye fatigue, other eye problems, and headaches. Poor quality light sources also weaken age-dependent color perception, cause abnormalities in color vision, visual fatigue, astigmatism, and near- or farsightedness. Full-spectrum light does not affect humans in the same way, but supports vision, energizes and brings good mood. Full-spectrum light has a continuous spectrum.
OFFICE LIGHTING
Office work is typically done using computer monitors. The work must be possible without straining the eyes. Special attention must be paid to the lighting design in office spaces due to computer monitors. The placement and direction of the lighting fixtures must be such that there are no reflections on the screen or other adverse factors. Designing lighting suitable for computer monitor work is problematic, especially because illuminating written text, a keyboard, and a computer screen at the same time is difficult. For this reason, the best option would be to invest in good general lighting instead of work desk lamps.
As long as there is sufficient light and the lighting is favorable, a computer user does not experience greater eye strain than other office workers.
Although poor lighting in office environments normally does not cause major risks, the issue should still be taken seriously. Poor visual ergonomics conditions can easily cause adverse effects on workers, such as neck pain, eye fatigue, and headaches. The fundamental goal of occupational safety and health is the well-being of workers, so lighting should be taken seriously. Poor lighting hinders concentration and causes errors.
PRODUCTION AND LOGISTICS FACILITY LIGHTING
In production facilities, precision is required and poor lighting does not allow for a detailed view of the result of the work or the performance of the task. Therefore, lighting is needed where you can actually see. In many places, the surfaces of the premises also "eat up" the light, so it is necessary to have enough light to ensure visibility.
Also, occupational safety is an important area. With proper lighting, one can see and use machines and equipment, not to mention spaces where forklifts and other machinery are operated. One must see and observe the environment. We have illuminated numerous spaces where improving the aforementioned issues has been considered.
LIGHTING IN RETAIL SPACES
In the store, lighting is important for both customers and employees. The products for sale must be well lit so that customers who come to buy the products can easily choose the products and see the contents of the packaging. Colors are important and in a good LED lighting they are well visible.
Security is also important. In a good light, people are visible - both customers and staff.
Lighting creates an atmosphere where the customer is enticed to make a purchase. Lighting control can also be used to attract customers, for example by adding light when there are customers between the shelves.
The lighting in the cash register area should be in order, as it deals with money and means of payment.
Energy saving is important in this sector as well, because the lights in shops are often always on. The lighting can be dimmed in areas where there are no customers.
ENERGY SAVING IN LIGHTING
Keeping lights on is, of course, a necessity in many places, but transitioning to less consuming LED lights is already a significant energy-saving measure.
Additional savings can be achieved through intelligent lighting control. In this case, the lights are dimmed or even turned off in rooms where no one is moving. The control of the lights is done wirelessly through sensors connected to intelligent luminaires. The settings can be adjusted as desired.
In one case, there were about 800 fluorescent lamps in the old lighting system and they were replaced with 250 linear luminaires. Although comparing a single luminaire to an old one may not bring savings, the new luminaire's efficiency is much higher, and the number of new ones is smaller. This resulted in significant energy savings. In addition, when intelligent control was activated, additional savings of approximately 40% were achieved. The payback period for the new lighting is short, even less than two years. The new luminaires are designed to last for over 100,000 hours, so the lifespan is years ahead.
The carbon footprint and its reduction are still widely discussed. The quality of energy used is, of course, a crucial factor in this regard. In addition, we have aimed to reduce the burden on the environment by using as much recycled and recyclable materials as possible in our lighting fixtures. Our new patented office lighting is being developed to be made from biodegradable materials. This is a truly environmentally-friendly act.
DESIGN FOR ASSISTANCE
It is important to design the new lighting using DiaLux modeling as an aid. The program can simulate the amount of new lighting. At the same time, problem areas in spaces where more light than general lighting is required are always assessed. AD-Lux provides a new lighting plan free of charge. We also calculate the payback period.
The entire renovation can also be financed, so the cost can be covered by the saved energy costs.
Do you want to hear more? Call us and we'll come to tell you more. Or send an email.
Tel +358 20 792 4240
e-mail: adlux@adlux.fi
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