Good light and lighting are important for the work environment

Good light and lighting are essential for being able to see and to perform your tasks well. Incorrect lighting, glare and flicker can cause discomfort when working with a screen. The lighting requirement depends on the task to be performed and needs to be adaptable to different conditions.

Vision changes with age and therefore often affects both the need for lighting and the need for special work glasses when working with a screen.

The risks with poor lighting

Working on a screen is often visually intensive and tiring for the eyes. If the daylight is weak and the lighting is dim, we become more tired and find it harder to concentrate. Then the eyes also need to work harder because it is easy to get large contrasts between dark rooms and bright screens. Glare and reflections on the screen also cause the eyes to have to work harder.

Examples of eye problems:

• eye fatigue
• stinging
• a gritty sensation
• sensitivity to light
• headache

Poor vision conditions can also cause musculoskeletal disorders, for example, by employees unconsciously adopting unfavourable work postures and working movements in order to see well.

How to address the risks

As an employer, you can arrange a good working environment for screen work by reviewing the equipment and positioning of screens and lights.

Ensure good lighting

As an employer, you must ensure that the lighting is sufficient. Ceiling lighting with both upward and downward light provides good dispersion and distributes the light more evenly in the room. Being able to turn off the downward light provides flexibility. This is especially useful because downward light can sometimes be perceived as dazzling.

• Local lighting, such as a desk lamp, can be helpful when an employee feels that there is not enough light.
• Things to consider to reduce reflections and glare:
• It is advisable to position the screen so that daylight enters from the side.
• It should be possible to screen off disturbing daylight, for example with curtains or blinds.
• Use a keyboard with matt coloured keys
• Use a desk with a matt surface. White or excessively dark colours on the surface of the desk are not suitable, as they require the eye to make an effort to switch between dark and light areas.

Office lighting

Position the screen in a suitable way

The screen should have sufficiently large and sharp characters and be positioned so that the gaze is slightly downwards. It must not flicker.

The appropriate viewing distance to the screen depends, among other things, on the size of the screen. A viewing distance of approximately 70–90 cm is usually adequate, and the top of the screen is placed at or slightly below eye level. Large screens need more space. This may mean that the table depth needs to be increased to achieve a suitable viewing distance to the screen and to provide space for the keyboard and relief for the forearms.

Offer eye examinations and glasses

With age, the eye's ability to adjust viewing distance and visual acuity deteriorates, and you become more sensitive to glare. With age, most employees need special vision correction to be able to work without discomfort, such as glasses adapted for computer work.

Eye examinations and glasses for computer and screen work

As an employer, you are responsible for reducing risk when working with screens, just as you are responsible for all aspects of the work environment.

Using computers and screens