Learn how lighting influences work accidents

Understanding the variables that can increase the number of work accidents is very important. They affect the health, physical integrity of workers, and can be tragic. Lighting is one of the factors that has a great relationship with negative events in work environments, as insufficient brightness hinders vision.

Employees who perform activities in well-lit places are more satisfied, feel safer, and produce more. Therefore, companies are using lighting design as a strategy to stand out in the market. In this post, we will explain the relationship between work accidents and professional environment lighting.

Would you like to learn more about how to benefit from investments in lighting in the professional environment? Then continue reading!

What is the importance of lighting in the professional environment?

Adequate brightness in the professional environment is very relevant because it creates the essential conditions for performing tasks. It prevents various health problems and prevents visual fatigue that affects employees after a few hours of work. On the other hand, lighting prevents accidents and provides well-being to workers.

Lighting is a safety factor for carrying out many productive activities. Lack of visibility makes the use of machinery unsafe and can cause serious problems for companies. Insufficient brightness hinders employee performance and reduces their work pace, as well as causing errors due to a lack of perception of details.

Consequently, insufficient clarity raises accident rates and can even cause fatalities. Work environments with poor lighting have shadows and generate glare, require more effort from workers, and cause headaches. Over the years, these conditions reduce the visual capacity of people who remain exposed to these factors.

What are the causes of work accidents related to lighting?

The causes of work accidents related to a lack of lighting are well known to occupational safety professionals. The absence of brightness at the ideal level hinders vision and can be fatal for workers who perform activities on machinery. In addition, it produces impacts on the physical and emotional health of these employees.

Among the main causes of accidents are very high or very low levels of brightness, inadequate color, incorrect distribution of intensity, incorrect light direction that generates shadows in the environment, failure in lighting devices, etc. These problems can occur due to the use of inferior quality lamps or luminaires.

What are the consequences of work accidents related to lighting?

There are many consequences related to poor lighting in environments, as it enhances risks. Workers feel visual fatigue and eye irritation, develop skin problems and emotional disorders. Excess or deficiency of brightness is responsible for various discomforts such as blurred vision, burning, and redness, not to mention the interference it has on sleep.

Failure to meet legal requirements and demands can cause problems with the justice system. Regulatory Norm No. 17 was elaborated to establish rules for lighting that will provide efficiency, safety, and comfort to employees. It imposes parameters so that working conditions are ideal for activities to be carried out in the environments.

Brazilian Regulatory Norm – NBR No. 8995-1:2013 of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards indicates the requirements for internal locations and the conditions for the safe performance of visual tasks during the workday. It sets out the minimum illuminance values for industrial, commercial, sports environments, among others.

Failing to meet these requirements can result in serious accidents. A worker who loses their ability to work has the right to file a lawsuit and claim compensation in case of an accident or occupational disease. As a result, companies end up paying high sums of money and suffer significant financial losses.

How to prevent work accidents caused by poor lighting?

To avoid accidents due to inadequate lighting, it is necessary to comply with the regulations mentioned above. In addition, you can hire specialized professionals to create a lighting project that is specific to your company. They will develop a plan according to the laws and use the most appropriate devices for your business.

The technicians evaluate the location, make the lighting calculations, and install the necessary equipment to ensure perfect lighting in each environment. After the project is implemented, shadows and glare are eliminated while the most appropriate light colors are inserted in work areas. This way, drowsiness is avoided in places where employees need to be awake.

If you wish, professionals can take advantage of natural light to promote resource savings. The clarity of the sun that enters through windows and glass is very beneficial to the health of employees. If it is used in the project, your company will have reduced electricity bills and the return on investment will come quickly.

What are the advantages of investing in lighting in the professional environment?

Investments in lighting for professional environments bring several benefits. A lighting project improves the productivity of workers who receive a well-lit workstation. Good visibility directly influences the performance of employees who work with less sleep and more agility.

The quality of life, physical and mental health of employees improve significantly through a lighting project. In this way, workers no longer take sick leave and are more diligent at work. The number of accidents is greatly reduced, as are the costs associated with legal fees and judicial convictions.

In conclusion, you can now understand the relationship between work accidents and company lighting! Invest in a lighting project and quality luminaires that meet the demands of your production area and eliminate any possibility of accidents involving employees. In addition to protecting your teams, the organization will notice an increase in profitability.

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