Workplace lighting

The choice of lighting in the workplace is a very important factor affecting the comfort and safety of employees, but also the quality of the tasks performed. It is very important that the employee has the ability to perceive and see details quickly, because this will reduce the risk of having an accident while performing his duties. In addition, poor lighting in the workplace can cause discomfort and fatigue. These, in turn, have a demotivating effect on the employee. The workplace can be illuminated in three ways: daylight, artificial light and a combination of the two. Daylight is the most natural for the human eye, but it is not always possible to illuminate the room with it. In this case, it is necessary to locate the appropriate lighting. Lighting in the workplace should be matched to the type of activities performed. An office worker needs a different light than a welder or carpenter. However, regardless of the fuse, the working surface (e.g. a desk or a production line) should be illuminated evenly. As far as possible, the occurrence of shadows and partial shadows, which are irritating to the employee's eyesight in the long run, should be eliminated. Too much or too little light can be harmful. In order to reduce unwanted lighting effects, appropriate lighting fixtures should be selected (e.g. opal diffuser, reflector, raster). When installing lighting in the workplace, check that there is no voltage drop in the lamps. If they start flickering (turning on and off at a high frequency), this will also be a strain on human vision. The employer should read the detailed guidelines on lighting in the workplace, which can be found in the Labor Code and European standards (PN-EN). There are, among others, the required light intensity values, expressed in lux (lx). They relate to specific activities and jobs. For example, for a welder, the standard assumes a minimum intensity of 200 lux, and for a mechanic performing very precise manual tasks, this value is already 1000 lux. Adhering to these standards will not only improve safety, but will also benefit the employee in terms of greater productivity.