Is the answer to getting the most productive and efficient employees simply having the best office lighting? Maybe…
We all know how distracting bad or flickering lights can be, so why do we keep putting up with it? You now don’t have to thanks to our incredible range of LED lighting products from Vision Lighting.
But which is the right LED lighting for your office? In this blog, our experts are sharing their top tips to help you find the best office lighting for your needs, as well as telling you about the physical problems your employees could face with the wrong lighting.
Let’s dive into it!
Office Lighting and Productivity
Did you know that poor lighting can have a detrimental effect on the health of your employees? The impact of negative lighting doesn’t just affect their physical health, but it can significantly affect their mental health too.
Sure, flickering lights can be annoying, but they lead to some severe health problems such as:
- Fatigue - the rapid changing of light intensity can strain the eye muscles, leading to fatigue, headaches, and difficulty focusing.
- Decreased energy - flickering lights can disrupt our internal clock, leading to sleep disturbances, fatigue, and decreased energy levels.
- Difficulty concentrating - the constant flickering of lights can encourage a lack of focus, creating a sense of unease and stress which can divert your attention and make it harder to concentrate on your work.
All of which can have a negative effect on the productivity and efficiency of your employees, and subsequently your business. Therefore, it’s crucial to find the best lighting for your office space.
Office Lighting Standards in the UK
Lighting is actually one of the most important aspects of health and safety in offices in the UK. The office lighting regulations refer to lighting being safe and not posing health risks to employees and other users of commercial premises in line with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act 1999.
So, to ensure that lighting is suitable and sufficient, several aspects of lighting in the office must be considered. These include:
- The lighting design
- The type of work taking place in the office
- The work environment
- Health aspects
- Individual requirements
- Lighting maintenance
- Emergency lighting
According to the HSG 38, (also known as the HSE’s Lighting at Work Handbook), work environments, especially offices, should be illuminated wherever necessary to allow sufficient sight. For desk areas where screens are frequent, lighting should never be so harsh to cause glare.
There are actually three main types of lighting:
- Ambient: Consistent lighting across the entire room
- Task: Illuminating specific areas of a room
- Accent: Drawing attention to paintings, photos, or other room accents
These types of lighting can either be used separately or together to provide the right atmosphere for your office. With careful consideration, you’ll be able to find the best lighting solution for your employees for the sake of their mental and physical well-being.
The Impact of Lighting Colour and Temperature
The selection of your lighting colour in your office space is determined from a functional point of view rather than a design point of view. Cold temperature lighting is usually best in an office space because it can help to improve concentration and perception.
However, as we will mention below, it is necessary to illuminate workers with the light temperature that is closest to daylight. This will not only make them feel closer to the outdoors, but it will help to imitate the natural cycle of daylight and the circadian rhythm of employees so they won’t feel like they’ve been cooped up in an office all day!
Finding the Best Office Lighting Solution
Now that you know a bit more about the impact of good lighting, below, we’ve got some of the best office lighting solutions that we think your employees will benefit from.
Let’s have a look at them in a bit more detail…
Natural Lighting
As mentioned above, the best lighting for offices is considered to be 4000K natural white light. We all know that natural light has a number of benefits for workers, including helping us concentrate, reduce stress, and make us happier.
And one of the best bits about natural lighting? It’s a cost-saving solution for your office lighting! However, sometimes we don’t all have the luxury of natural light in our workspace due to working in the basement or offices with few or even no windows.
Fortunately, cool, white LED light bulbs can have a similar effect to natural light - plus, they last longer than the sun each day… and that’s not just in the winter!
Adjustable Lights
Sometimes, your employees may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed with their to-do list, so having adjustable lighting is a nice option. A dimmable light allows them to create a more relaxed and cosy atmosphere that just takes the pressure off slightly.
Plus, adjustable lighting can also help relax strained eyes. We recommend opting for LED downlighting to achieve this as it easily allows you to change the brightness levels - just one of the many benefits of LED lighting.
If your employees are struggling with tired eyes, why not add some task lighting to your office with some desk lamps? This way, you can still dim the brightness of your overhead lights, whilst still having bright lamps for those who need the extra light for specific tasks.
Overhead Lighting
One of the best office lighting solutions is an overhead light. It sounds obvious, but choosing the right ceiling light can make all the difference.
Do you want to choose a light that makes an impact on your potential customers, one that promotes the best productivity, or one that’s really eco-friendly?
You could always choose one that’s all three with our ceiling light panels! An energy-efficient lighting solution that brightens up the whole room, is easy to install, and will last for years.
Spot Lights
Do you have specific items you want to display in your office? It could be team photographs, health and safety documents, or even awards. You could make them stand out even more with LED light strips.
Strip lights are available in a range of bold shades so you can easily transform your space. Some of the shades include:
One of the main benefits of LED light strips is that they can be cut to shape - meaning less waste and more impact.
Wall Lighting
If your office is perhaps a little tight for space, wall lighting could be a great solution. Especially when used with LED modules, wall lights allow you to save space on already crowded desks.
Plus, you can create elegant designs with lights on the wall that really set the scene for visitors or clients.
Wall lamps are sure to make an impact and be cost-efficient when used with LED light bulbs.
Biophilic Lighting
Biophilic lighting is a type of lighting that uses natural elements such as plants, wood, and stone, to create a nature-inspired workspace. This lighting can help to boost employee productivity significantly.
It’s no surprise that being exposed to nature can increase positive emotions and reduce negative ones such as anxiety and depression, ones that might be rife in an office environment.
If you don’t have the right lighting fixtures to do this, we recommend hanging plants or flowers up in the office space to incorporate as much of nature as possible!
Your Office LED Lighting Needs Are Covered with Vision Lighting
As you can see, there are a range of lighting solutions available for your workspace - it’s all about finding the best office lighting for your needs. Your employee's eyesight shouldn’t have to suffer at work, but luckily, our range of lighting can easily solve this problem.
Still not sure which LED lighting is right for your office? You can always give our experts a call at 01132 799745. Having worked with happy customers for over 10 years, we’re sure we can help you find the perfect lighting solution for your office.
Plus, our LED lights last for over 50,000 hours - the equivalent of 5.7 years! So, not only do they last longer, it means one less thing to keep buying in the next few years.
Reach out to our friendly team today to find the best office lighting for your needs.
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