Lighting in offices
Lighting in offices is one of the most important aspects to take into account in the design and configuration of the workspace. Current work life means that people spend a third of their day inside an office and almost 80% of their day in indoor spaces and exposed to artificial lighting.
Studies have shown that correct office lighting achieves a 4% increase in employee productivity and that, on the contrary, poor lighting in the workspace can cause discomfort to office users such as: visual fatigue, exhaustion, stress and migraines. The study also found that the incorrect use of light sources in offices affected the employees’ attention levels and increased their discouragement, factors that are the cause of accidents, absence and poor performance.
Below are some tips to consider to get the best lighting in offices and reduce the risks of poor lighting quality.
How do you get the best lighting in the office?
Take advantage of the natural light that comes from windows, skylights and doors, but it should not shine directly on the workspace to avoid glare. In addition, sources of natural light have a positive effect on office users as it diminishes the sense of confinement that artificial light produces.
Combine sources of natural light with general artificial lights and spotlights of localised artificial light. Localised artificial light sources are used in those cases where general artificial light is insufficient, such as shining light on the keyboard through the use of lamps.
Avoid differences in light intensity by distributing artificial light sources evenly throughout the office. If we also locate these points of light so that light reaches the work zone laterally, we will avoid annoying shadows for office users.
It is better if we use white light fluorescent lamps because they positively affect employees’ concentration and productivity. Yellow-coloured lights generate warmer and more dispersed environments that could distract employees.
Faithful to our ideology of offering the best quality and assistance to our office users, here at Colonial we have developed the Smart Building System office building management software which, among other functions, controls and monitors the correct amount of artificial light in a specific space and moment, enabling a reduction in energy costs to companies.
