Task Lighting: The Secret Piece to Complete the Ergonomics Puzzle

Ergonomics. The mere word conjures up images of standing desks, interestingly-shaped chairs, and products used in the office that make you more comfortable. The common thread in all of those products happens to be just that - comfort - but it doesn't stop with things that you sit in or work at. Lighting is just as important as an ergonomic chair or height adjustable desk when it comes to setting up the ideal workspace for you.

Although you may already have some light sources in your work area, the current foot-candles (the unit of measurement for tasking lighting) is not the same for all lamps and lights. And with the current trend of lights going full LED, task lighting options are changing even more, offering even more adjustable and efficient options than ever before.

When Ambient and Natural Light is Not Enough

As research compiles, we are learning more and more about how natural lighting enhances psychological well-being; yet natural light alone isn’t enough for most tasks due to the wide variation in light intensity. This can be a conundrum for some offices.

What works for one person might not be the right light for the next, which is why it's important to take all lighting conditions into account when deciding if you need more direct light added to your office.

Additionally, our eyes do not all function the same way, even in the same lighting conditions. And as we age, our eyes get worse. To put it into perspective: under the same lighting conditions, people in their twenties have eyesight that’s eight times better than people in their sixties.1  Therefor, lighting can be used as a supplemental tool to help older viewers keep their eyes strain-free.

Task Lighting Saves Money

When you're considering the cost of adding task lighting to your area, don't forget the hidden costs of not having it. Task lighting reduces expensive overall lighting costs due to the fact that LEDs are able to supplement light while requiring less power and using less energy. Instead of packing in more overhead lights, giving employees a task light and letting them direct it over their work area could be a better option for you. Most modern task lights use LEDs. LEDs use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.2

Lessen cooling costs, too, with lights that give off less heat compared to that of incandescent overhead lighting. If your power bill seems a little steep, try adding more focused task lighting to your space.

Lighting Made for People

Lighting and productivity go hand in hand, which is why it's not just a matter or lighting the room, it's a matter of business. When your eyes are tired from adjusting from screen to room and back to screen again, you're more likely to develop headaches and eye strain, two things that make it very hard to be productive.

Even if you start off the day with adequate lighting and energy, as the day goes on and we attempt to maintain productivity, our eyes begin to work harder to keep up. If there are demands and distractions that compete for our energy and concentration, this eye strain becomes even worse. If you catch yourself squinting at any point during the day, it might be time to add more lighting to your space.

Task lights and lamps are more personalizable to the user, allowing them to control the amount of light they have in the moment. This brings us back to the concept of ergonomics: control is the name of the game. Give yourself and your employees more freedom to adjust their lighting throughout the day with a task light.

A Task Light for Every Occasion

Just like every person, every space is different. Task lights are also adaptable on that front, too. From desk lamps to lamps with clamps to floor lamps, task lighting comes in all shapes and sizes. From the Illuminate to the E7, there's a lighting solution to help you see better.

Enjoy glare-free, flicker-free task lighting with the E7 LED Desk Lamp with Clamp. It works to deliver you directional lighting wherever it's needed, helping you reduce negative health effects from poor lighting. Want a task lamp that's full-sized? Try the E7 LED Floor Lamp, which will offer you the same adjustable lighting of the other E7, just with a sturdy floor base that allows you to extend you lamp light up and out.

The Illuminate LED Task Light is another task lighting option to get you apt lighting in your area. Give yourself a light source that lets you adjust it to the right setting and get to work.

The bottom line is: Task lighting is a cost-effective and easy way to help improve ergonomics at work and at home. When choosing the pieces to fill your space, don't forget lighting!

Notes

1UCLA Environment, Health, and Safety. "Aging in the Workforce," News and Notes, Spring 2012, p. 1. 

2U.S. Department of Energy. "LED Lighting." "http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/led-lighting" (accessed December 2012).