Office lighting can make a huge difference in productivity and overall employee well-being.
If lighting is too bright or has a glare, headaches are more common and productivity drops. When lighting is neutral, as close to natural as possible and positioned properly, employees tend to be more comfortable and efficiency improves.
Aside from the impact on employees, office lighting can also affect the way that clients view your office. Burnetts will assist you in choosing the right lights for your requirements. We will ensure your business does not suffer from SBS (Sick Business Syndrome).
How to Choose the Correct Lighting
How do you go about choosing office lighting that creates the perfect environment?
1/ Type
Through the ages, light has evolved from direct candlelight or fire through the invention of electricity. Incandescent lighting has been with us for the longest. An example is the ordinary light bulbs we all have used throughout our everyday lives. The major problem with traditional lighting is that it is power hungry and so expensive. Fluorescent lighting was invented in the later part of the last century and is still used extensively. The downside to fluorescent lighting is that it has a slight flicker that we do not consciously sense. The constant flicker causes eye strain. Fluorescent bulbs are also not kind to the environment as they contain mercury.
LED lighting has now evolved to such a degree that Burnetts only recommends the use of LED lighting in all applications. The upside is it offers a stable light in many tones at a very cost-effective rate. The applications are limitless and extremely efficient. LED lighting is the future.
2/ Colour
The colour of the light can have a surprisingly strong effect on the look and feel of your office. Lights that cast warmer tones are generally more favourable. Green tones can come across as strange and out of place, blue tone light can be too cold and unwelcoming. White light, however, remains the ideal choice. One major reason for this is that white lighting creates a sense of energy, helping to boost productivity and motivation as well as being brighter and so reducing strain on our optic nerves.
3/ Position
Direct overhead lights using diffusers can be effective in some cases. Side-mounted lights fitted to walls or outer edges of ceilings can help to reduce glare. Concealed lighting is becoming more popular but most often as mood lighting only. Task lights as in lamps can also be used to highlight work areas without glare.
4/ Brightness
Brightness is an important consideration. As we mentioned above too much glare can cause headaches and eye strain. Lights that are too dim could damage eyes forcing them to constantly strain. Ideally, you want brightness that is as close to natural light as possible. Light levels are measured in Lux. There are accepted standards for various industries.
Please contact the team at Burnetts to assist you with your lighting requirements. Burnetts a True Turnkey Solution.