Your Skylights Supplier Asks, Is The Lighting in Your Commercial Building Affecting Your Employees’ Productivity?

The recent years have witnessed significant changes in the way that people work. Along with technological advances, companies have come up with different ways to increase the productivity level among their employees. However, there is an important factor that directly impacts productivity and mood in the workplace that is often neglected – lighting. As a top skylights supplier for commercial buildings, here is how lighting can be affecting your workers’ performance and costing you productivity.

The Effects of Bad Lighting on Workers 

Eye Strain 

The 1989 Steelcase Office Environment Index (Louis Harris) indicated that workers considered eye strain to be the leading hazard to their health. The consistent eyestrain of working in improper lighting leads to headaches and migraines, which directly affect an employee’s well-being and distract them from focusing on their work.

In addition, for manufacturers and positions requiring close, intricate work , such as with technicians, this activity coupled with a lack of good lighting can cause vision deterioration. Observe your employees’ behaviors – if there’s a lot of eye squinting, headache complaints or a lack of energy across your team, it may be time to make some changes to the lighting in your commercial building.

“Lockheed saved $500,000 per year in energy costs during a lighting upgrade in an engineering and development facility. The upgrade, however, also resulted in a 15 percent increase in productivity and a 15 percent decrease in absenteeism.”
As reported in Solar Today, May/June 1995.

 

Mental Health 

For the human body, exposure to natural sunlight helps to fight mental health distress. However, it is not easy for workers in commercial buildings eight hours a day or more, to get the proficient amount of sunlight that produces vitamin D that they need, especially during winter months. When artificial lighting is predominantly the source of light that office workers are exposed to daily, it needs to be sufficient to maintain good mental health among all employees.  

 

Best Workplace Lighting Practices to Improve Productivity 

Abide by Workplace Illumination Standards 

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s standard 1926.56, different work industries have to comply with a certain number of foot-candles when it comes to commercial lighting. In addition, OSHA’s standard 1910.305 consists of lighting installation requirements. To avoid violations and penalties, make sure to keep the lighting in your building up to date with the illumination standards and policies in your industry. 

 

Bring More Natural Light to Your Work Space 

According to Northwestern University’s website, not only does natural light in the office (and workplace) improves workers’ sleep quality but, it also boosts their physical activities and quality of life. Below are different ways to achieve a sufficient level of sunlight in commercial buildings: 

• Incorporate windows and skylights 
• Choose light wall colors to increase natural light exposure 
• Install glass walls 
• Avoid bulky furniture that can block the sunlight 

 

Avoid Fluorescent Lighting 

Though fluorescent makes for an economical option, it is not necessarily the best choice for your employees’ well-being. Fluorescent lights are usually unfiltered, which means that they are glaring and hard to see in. In addition, they constantly flicker and require your eyes to adjust to constrict and adapt. Over a long period of time on a consistent basis, eye strain is unavoidable and can lead to migraines, headaches, and sleep-pattern disruption. Such physical tension prevents workers from concentrating and achieving the optimum level of productivity.  

 

Pay Attention to the Color Temperature of Your Lighting 

Color temperature is measured in a unit called Kelvin (K). The recommended light temperature for an office setting is anything in the range of 3500 – 5500K. Light temperature below 3500K features a more red-yellow hue while anything above 5500K would be too blue. Generally, office settings call for blue-enriched white light as it has been known to increase workers’ productivity. That is why LED lights are popular among companies and corporations around the world. They are energy-efficient and conducive to promote work performance.   

 

Allow for Customizable Lighting 

It means investing in individual desk lamps for employees. Everybody has a different reaction to a certain level of light intensity, so a task light helps create a light level that meets their preference and potentially boosts their productivity. It also consumes far less energy and provides more adequate foot-candles when compared to a typical overhead lighting fixture. Moreover, since visual capability varies among workers in a company, adjustable lighting allows for visual performance and facilitate a more desirable work environment.    

 

Improve Your Company’s Productivity Level with DCI – The Top Skylights Supplier 

There’s nothing better than a little natural light to inspire creativity and energize your team which ultimately can lead to better productivity overall. Installing Design Component Inc.’s skylights is a great way to let the sunshine into your commercial building. Dome or pyramid shape, acrylic or glass, single glazed or insulated, we have skylight solutions that will meet your unique commercial building needs. With over 40 years industry experience, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the highest-quality products and outstanding customer service. Let us help you bring more natural light to your building and improve the overall productivity level of your business.

For more information, call us today at (800) 868-9910 or Contact Us Now.