The importance of good lighting in the home workplace

With COVID-19 coronavirus keeping many of us working from home these days, it’s a good idea to make sure you benefit from the best possible daylight in your workplace.  Be it a home office in the spare bedroom, a clinic in the garage or a studio/workshop in the shed or garden building, giving your eyes and brain the best chance of working well in the conditions available makes a great deal of sense.

We’re still installing tubular skylights, in line with government COVID guidelines

Fortunately, Solatube tubular skylights can prove to be a quick and cost effective way of delivering lots of bright, glare-free daylight in to otherwise dark rooms and work spaces.  And whilst COVID regulations mean it’s important we observe social distancing, the rules do permit us to continue installing.  However, we would ask that homeowners consider keeping themselves in a separate part of the house whilst we undertake the installation (usually around half a day).  And for our part we will ensure we wear masks and gloves whenever we are in the house. So, if you need more daylight in your home we are happy to continue installing Solatube tubular skylights, in line with Government coronavirus guidelines.

Is your work space/home office bright enough?

Although you probably haven't thought about it yet, the lighting in homes is often very different from that at the office. The standard for good office working light is 500 lux (the strength of the light on your work surface). This level of light aids concentration and minimises the contrast between your computer screen and the surrounding working environment.

At home we typically only have atmospheric light and the brightness of this often does not exceed 200 lux! Most rooms will have spotlights or just a single lighting fixture in the middle of the room, which may cause you to work in your own shadow or suffer with light glare from your computer screen.

What does lighting mean for your health?

Insufficient light, especially natural daylight, can lead to quite a few health issues and complaints in the long term, which is why it is wise to consider some of the following measures to improve home office and work space lighting:

  •    Irritated and dry eyes
  •    Tension, stress and headaches
  •    Concentration problems
  •    Poor sleep patterns

 

A few simple tips to improve lighting in your home office or workspace

This is why it is wise to consider some of the following measures to improve home office and workspace lighting: 

  •    Keep the décor light in colour
  •    Ceilings, walls, floors and work surfaces can all soak up the light if dark in colour, so try to opt or change them to a lighter option
  •    Locate workplaces (desks etc.) closer to the window if there is too little light or move them further away from the window if reflection and / or           glare is an issue from too much daylight.
  •    Set up computer screens so that the viewing direction is at right angles to the window. As a result, one does not look into the daylight (when your     face is turned towards the window) and the daylight does not fall on the screen (when your back is turned towards the window).
  •    In the case of computer work, provide suitable sun protection that can block reflective daylight. Examples are sun shades, blinds and tinted glass.     It’s worth noting that daylight from a Solatube tubular skylight actually avoids glare and reflections on computer screens ensuring you benefit from           excellent levels of daylight but without dazzling you.
  •    Take frequent breaks during activities without much daylight and / or take a short walk in between.

 

If you have insufficient daylight in your home office, please feel free to contact Matthew at Solatube Scotland.  As already mentioned, we are able to continue installing during the lockdown, if necessary.  We have over 16 years of experience supplying and installing Solatube sun pipes and can advise on how best to maximise light levels in your own work space – an important consideration as increasing numbers of us are working from home.

 

For more information and pricing, email info@solatubescotland.co.uk or call Matthew on 07778 283 427

 

 


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