Office lighting is more than just choosing light fixture types and is important for the health and well-being of the employees. It is one of the many determinants of an employee’s perception of the workplace and can enhance employees’ performance as well as increase the aesthetic appeal of the office. The best practices with regard to office lighting in Kenya would have to adhere to the safety regulations and ensure a good balance with natural light as well.
Lighting affects ergonomics, in bright good quality lighting people are able to concentrate better on their work while dim lights cause laziness and tiredness.
Choosing The Right Lighting For Your Office In Kenya
Below are things to consider and tips on how to properly light your office.
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Types of lighting in the office
There are three types of lighting, which include, ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent light. All three types should be found in an office for a better environment. Ambient lighting is the most basic type of lighting, it is the main source of light and illuminates the whole space uniformly. Daylight or cool white light is recommended for ambient lighting in an office. Task lighting should be direct, intense, and focused on the area where the task is being accomplished. It enhances visibility and reduces eye strain. Recessed lights, pendant lights, vanity lights, etc are used for task lighting. Accent lighting is done to get the attention of people and focus it on a certain point in a room.
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Lighting amounts
The right amount of office lighting is crucial when lighting your office. Insufficient light can create a dull mood while too much lighting at the same time can cause headaches and eye strain. Ensure you have the right amount of light and the presence of natural lighting if possible in your office.
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Light positioning
Positioning the lights in your office plays a really important role. There are lights for the ceiling, floor, and walls. For whatever purpose it may serve there is a light for it. Since in an office, there could be multiple things being done in different parts, there is a need to have more than one type of light positioned in different parts of the office. The positioning of the ceiling lights should not be directly over the employee’s desk.
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Lighting control system
Consider having a lighting control system installed for your office as it will help in utilizing the lighting sources more optimally thus saving energy and power. With the lighting control system in place, all the lights fixed in the office are included in one system making monitoring and using the lighting much simpler.
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Natural lighting
Natural daylight is one of the best assets an office can have, it can make an office look instantly brighter and welcoming, therefore natural lighting should take the lead in office lighting with artificial lighting increasing the light to sufficient levels. Lighting an office naturally can help cut costs as more natural light in the office means less artificial light required. Daylight-integrated control systems can regulate the level of artificial light in response to the level of natural light in space meaning the artificial light will automatically be dimmed in accordance with the amount of natural light present.
Wrap up
Good lighting plays a crucial role in the office. Office lighting in Kenya serves its main function of illumination while also contributing to interior design. Good office lighting is specific to your needs, the type, brightness and color of your lights should be based on the office layout.
