Office lighting

Lighting in offices must suit the working tasks and the individual person. It should be adapted to the visual requirements of the work tasks and the different circumstances of the employees.

Basis for office lighting

The lighting and other conditions in offices should be such that it is possible to achieve sufficiently high illumination levels within the so-called reading area, i.e. uniform general lighting.

It should also be such that there are no disturbing reflections within the field of view and that defined levels of luminance in the room are met (luminance is a measure of how bright a surface is and is measured in candela per square metre, cd/m2). It should therefore be possible to adapt the lighting intensity to, among other things, the ambient light and to regulate it individually.

Often both general lighting and area lighting are needed

Additional lighting is often needed for visually demanding tasks, for example to read small text, perform various types of drawing work or work in offices without sufficient daylight. Older people need stronger lighting than the young.

The illumination needed in offices

Guidelines for the minimum illumination needed in different office activities:

Archiving, copying

General lighting* (lux): 200

Area lighting (lux): 300

Normal office work

General lighting* (lux): 300

Area lighting (lux): 500

Workstations for CAD

General lighting* (lux): 300

Area lighting (lux): 500

Work with higher demands on vision

General lighting* (lux): 300

Area lighting (lux): 750

Fine drawing work

General lighting* (lux): 500

Area lighting (lux): 1,500

Conference room

General lighting* (lux): 200

Area lighting (lux): 500

Cleaning, minimum lux on floors

General lighting* (lux): 200

Garbage room

General lighting* (lux): 100

* General lighting refers here to the average illumination measured in the horizontal plane 85 cm above the floor.

Plan the lighting according to the needs of the activities

When planning the lighting, the work area itself needs to be defined. For example, for fine drawing work, the entire office does not need to achieve illumination of 1,500 lux. It is enough to have this lighting intensity where the fine drawing work takes place, that is, on the work table.

Communication areas between different work areas often need less light than the work area itself, but the differences must not be too great. The ratio between the illumination in the work area and the lowest illumination in the premises should not be more than 20:1.

How brightness, i.e. the luminance distribution, is distributed in the work area and within the room has great significance for vision and how the room is perceived. Luminance ratios should be approximately 5:3:1 between visual objects, immediate surroundings and outer field of view.

For good visual comfort in office premises, the average luminance on the room's wall surfaces should not be lower than 30 cd/m2, which can be stated as the average illumination on the room's wall surfaces should be at least 150 lux with light walls.

In offices, there is usually work that involves using a computer screen. The lighting must then also be adapted to this, which often means limiting the luminance from light fittings. Light from luminaires and windows should not glare or cause disturbing reflections on computer screens for example, nor obscure the screen or create disturbing shadows.

Fix common problems

  • Glare can be just as big a problem as poor lighting. In office environments especially, the risk of direct glare from insufficiently shielded luminaires and reflected glare from screens is high.

    Many workplaces face windows, but with the positive aspect of being able to see out comes the risk of glare. Lighting in office environments can be perceived as too bright and glaring and can cause headaches and burning eyes.

    Plan and furnish to avoid glare

    • Direct the light so that it does not glare.
    • Use luminaires with anti-glare screens.
    • Place light fixtures and workplaces in relation to each other so that direct glare does not occur at the workplaces.
    • Choose a matt finish that does not cause indirect glare.
    • Choose luminaires with upward, indirect light to avoid reflections on screens and supplement with area lighting.
    • Position computer workstations so that a window does not form the background to the screen and that no window is mirrored in the screen.
    • Screen out the sun. Visual disturbances caused by daylight are most often caused by direct sunlight.

  • In both open-plan and cellular offices with only general lighting or localised general lighting, many employees do not see well enough to perform their tasks without straining their eyes or adopting inappropriate work postures.

    Make it possible for people to adjust the lighting individually

    Make it possible to control both general lighting and area lighting individually.

  • In practice, the quality of light is partly determined by how the lighting system is maintained and cleaned. Grease and dirt that accumulate on luminaires cause poor light output. How room surfaces are cleaned also affects the lighting conditions.

    Choose suitable luminaires

    • Create a procedures for cleaning and maintenance
    • Choose luminaires and light sources that are easy to clean and maintain
    • Replace end-of-life light sources with light sources that have identical performance.

Standards for light and lighting (sis.se)

SS-EN 12464-1:2021, standard for lighting of indoor workplaces.

SS-EN 12464-2:2021, standard for lighting of outdoor workplaces.

Last updated 2025-09-29