Bad lighting in the workplace can see companies face more than just a hefty electricity bill. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) recorded an estimated 71,062 employee non-fatal injuries as reported by employers in 2017/18, most of which occurred by common yet avoidable incidents.
The two biggest problems highlighted in the report for workplace injuries were slipping, tripping and falling followed by handling, lifting and carrying. There are many procedures employers are required to enforce in order to prevent accidents from happening, but bad lighting is often not acknowledged as a workplace hazard.
Having ineffective lighting solutions in the workplace can lead to a range of health issues from eye strain and posture to lethargy and attention problems, however, in environments such as factories, warehouses and distribution centres, a dark or dimly lit facility can lead to injuries and even fatalities.
LED luminaires are carefully designed to replace discharge and fluorescent fittings and are much easier to install than many people might expect. The initial extra costs are often paid for in less than three years in energy savings and they also come with many benefits from lifespan through to technology and how much they can help the environment.
In busy warehouses, poor lighting solutions can have serious consequences and should be treated as a significant health and safety issue, with many customers only contacting companies on the back of a serious health and safety breach.
At EcolightingUK we want organisations to make things simple, making it easier for workers to see a hazard and simpler for them to avoid it.
It is important that employers regularly review lighting to highlight any light-related issues that may cause harm or injury. Lighting hazards in the workplace are often the result of incorrect lighting design as companies often buy or lease an empty building where the lighting is just about adequate. However, once obstacles like racking or machinery are installed, light levels will drop dramatically.
As specialists in our field, Ecolighting believes too many companies give very little thought to designing a lighting system and, as a result, end up with inadequate lighting solutions that burn more energy than necessary.
There are currently no statutory workplace lighting levels in the UK. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations simply require that lighting at work is ‘suitable and sufficient’ and that, ‘where reasonably practicable’, workplaces are lit by natural light. Guidelines for these levels can be found from CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) and they have been generally adopted as best practice across the industry.
Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their workers and because badly specified, sited or maintained lighting solutions can lead to accidents as well as underperforming staff, workplace illumination should never be overlooked.
Unlike many other lighting companies, Ecolighting has its own team of lighting and electrical installation engineers as well as carrying out the lighting scheme design with Relux software in the early stages of client lighting projects. The company also manufactures its luminaires in the UK and uses UK-sourced Osram control gear and LED chips. All of this means that the company has much better control than many and can present better value for money to clients. The company is assessed to BSEN ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015.