Good Lighting Increases Safety and Bad Lighting Decreases It
Good lighting plays a vital role in workplace safety. Learn how proper lighting reduces accidents, improves visibility, and why poor lighting increases safety risks.
EHS content HUB
Good lighting plays a vital role in workplace safety. Learn how proper lighting reduces accidents, improves visibility, and why poor lighting increases safety risks.
When it comes to maintaining a safe and productive workplace, one tool often goes unnoticed, yet it plays a critical role—the photo or lux meter. This small but powerful device helps measure the amount of light in a space, ensuring that your environment meets the recommended standards of illumination.
When we talk about workplace safety, most people immediately think of heavy machinery, PPE, or fire hazards. But one often-overlooked danger quietly lurks in many workplaces—lighting. More specifically, the issues of flicker and the stroboscopic effect.
Workplace safety is a responsibility that goes beyond providing personal protective equipment (PPE) or enforcing safety protocols. One of the most effective yet often overlooked tools for preventing accidents is the strategic use of colours and signs.
When we think about plant safety, most of us immediately imagine safety helmets, gloves, or warning signs. But there’s one factor that is often overlooked yet has a significant impact on workplace safety: the colour of plant and machinery. Yes, the colours used for machines, equipment, and even walls in an industrial setting play a crucial role in ensuring safety, visibility, and efficiency.
When we think of modern factories, our minds often go to machinery, production lines, and workers wearing personal protective equipment. Rarely do we pause to consider the role of natural light in shaping a safe, productive, and energy-efficient workplace. Yet, daylighting, or the strategic use of natural light in buildings, is one of the most underrated design factors in industrial construction.
Lighting is one of the most underestimated aspects of workplace safety and productivity. Whether it’s an office, a manufacturing plant, or a warehouse, the type of lighting you choose directly affects employee comfort, efficiency, and safety. Poor lighting can lead to eye strain, fatigue, errors, and even workplace accidents, while proper lighting fosters focus, energy, and a safer environment.
Proper lighting is not just about helping people see clearly—it’s about preventing accidents, reducing eye strain, improving concentration, and even boosting morale. Conversely, poor lighting can contribute to mistakes, fatigue, and serious hazards. This is why understanding the recommended standards of illumination is critical for every business, safety officer, and employee.
Lighting is one of the most critical yet often overlooked aspects of workplace safety and productivity. In a factory setting, where machinery, chemicals, and moving equipment are constantly in play, proper lighting can make the difference between a safe, efficient operation and a hazardous, error-prone environment.
When we talk about workplace safety, we often think about fire extinguishers, PPE, or safety signs. But one of the most overlooked yet critical safety components is proper lighting—especially portable emergency lights and local lighting.