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Posted By Patrick Canning
I have had a complaint about poor lighting from an office with approx. 7 people working in it. Our offie is a very large house converted into offices. This office in question has still got the lights from the house and each person uses a desk lamp, this causes a shadow. Some people have complained that their eyes hurt during the darker days, is the use of desk lamps ok, do i need to measure the light with and without the lamps, if so how would i do this and what is the min reading required. Can anyone shed light on this situation (excuse the pun)
Thanks all
Patrick
Patrick
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Posted By The toecap
If i remeber rightly (stand to be corected) there should be 2200 candela on the working plane. Any way, do a DSE assessment to find out any problems.
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Patrick
Get hold of a copy of the HSE guidance - Lighting at Work (HSG38); that will give you some basic help. The CIBSE Lighting Guides contain a lot more information but cost a lot more money.
Paul
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Posted By Alan Hoskins
The use of desk lamps is not to be recommended unless the overall lighting levels are also good. The reason is the excessive contrast between the lit desk area and the rest of the room. Quite difficult to see properly when leaving the well lit for the darker area and can easily lead to trips and collisions with objects.
Alan
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Posted By Steven John Bateson
In general the Workplace (H,S&W) Regs 1992, reg 8(1) applies to most work places (other than construction sites)and requires 'suitable and sufficient' lighting. If the employees are complaining and need to rely on desk lamps you can be sure the lighting is insufficient to meet this requirement. Reg 8(2) requires the lighting to be natural wherever this is reasonably practicable.
If your staff are using computer screens then the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regs 1992, reg 2(1) applies to their work stations. This requires the employer to carry out a 'suitable and sufficient analysis of the work stations'. If you haven't already done an analysis you must do one. If you have done one and the staff are complaining then under reg 2(2) you must review the assessment. Again, if the staff have to resort to hand lamps to enhance the available light then in my opinion it's currently insufficient i.e. the work stations require better overhead lighting.
As stated in previous postings, see the HSE guidance for what may be considered 'suitable and sufficient'
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Patrick
You ask whether 'anyone can throw some light on' an office work situation in which employees complain about suffering eye complaints.
While it's a good idea to refer to the HSE guidance on lighting and indeed on DSE assessments, 'throwing some light on' the problem also invites the question: what do you know about ergonomic design and evaluation of office work environments?
The difficulty is that adjustments call for balancing not only the physics and physiology of safe lighting but also the biomechanics, phyiology, anthropometrics and psychology of the employees involved and the strategy and psychology of responsible managerial leaders.
I suggest that you read 'Ergonomics. How to design for ease and efficiency' (2nd or 3rd editions), K Kroemer, H. Kroemr and K Kroemer-Elbert or else consult an ergonomist familiar with its approach.
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