Desk Lamps And Task Lighting
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Do you need a desk lamp? Whilst not everyone may need a desk lamp all the time, there are some perks to be gained by having the correct task lighting.
In an ideal world, the best location for a desk is near a source of natural daylight. However, many offices are unable to fulfil this ideal, due to a variety of reasons. These include the office layout, the location of the office itself - which may be in a basement - and the weather. For example, natural lighting may be insufficient on a cloudy winter day.
The unit that measures illuminance is called Lux. Whilst a sunny summer day may provide 10,000 Lux, the requirement for different office tasks may vary between 300-750 Lux, as mentioned by the HSE. Since illuminance is a quantitative metric only, which does not indicate the quality and positioning of the light, it cannot be considered the only contributing factor towards good quality lighting and DSE compliance. To comply with DSE regulations, other factors must be taken into account, including glare, flicker and shadows. The correct positioning of DSE equipment and lighting source in relation to each other can prevent glare. Good light technology and proper lamp installation should also minimise the risk of flicker. This, and the shadow problem is where desk lamps can come in particularly handy because they can balance and improve inadequate general lighting, whilst guaranteeing the minimum required illuminance. They can also help with specific task lighting requirements where the right colour temperature and colour rendering index are important.
Best practices for desk lamp use:
The desk lamp height should be set below eye level. This prevents the light from directly hitting the eyes. To achieve this, the lamp has to be height adjustable or have a flexible arm.
The lamp should be placed on the opposite side of the hand you write with: the right side for left-handed people and the left side for right-handed people. This is to prevent disturbing shadows on the worktop while you write.
The light should be dimmable for optimal adjustment during different tasks and to balance changeable natural daylight throughout the day.
In addition, a matt desk surface can help prevent glare, as opposed to a glossy surface.
Ergonomic desk lamps that will brighten up your desk:
Modern ergonomic desk lamps offer an extended life span and additional features such as USB chargers and a dimmer switches.
Below are three examples of high-quality ergonomic desk lamps which provide great help with ensuring the correct, ergonomic task lighting of your desk.
Humanscale Element Disc Light
This desk lamp features innovative thin-film LED technology. The result is a consistent, ultra-wide light source, providing a 3000K bright white temperature colour and a colour rendering index of 80. This clever lamp also features a PIR sensor that turns the lamp off when the user is not in the lamp's proximity and seven adjustable illumination levels.
Warranty: 10 years
Life span: up to 50,000 hours
This extremely flexible and practical LED desk lamp was designed by the German design studio PEARL CREATIVE. It features a USB charging station, an integrated pencil tray and dimmer function, a night light function and a 3500K colour temperature. Compared to a 60 Watt bulb, it uses 85% less energy.
Warranty: 5 years
Life span: up to 25,000 hours
CBS Cubert LED Desk Light
The Cubert desk lamp received a Red Dot Honorable Mention 2015. It provides a high quality, glare-free light, with 4000K cool white temperature. Perhaps, the most remarkable feature is that it provides two main and two USB ports. The head can be tilted up to 35 degrees. The dimmer is touch sensitive and the light automatically shuts off after four hours.
Warranty: 5 years
Life span: 50,000+ hours
To receive further information and advice, on DSE regulations and task lighting, contact us.
Additional resources: HSG38