How to gauge a shop’s lighting needs

If there is not enough lighting in a shop, eye strain becomes a problem and less work gets done. Plus, inadequate lighting can lead to poor-quality work, safety issues and worker discontent.

How can you determine if your shop has lighting problems? Answer these questions:

1. Ask your technicians about the current lighting set-up and inquire if they are having any difficulties clearly seeing in the shop. Is there enough brightness? How is the distance illumination (candela)?

2. How frequently are lights used and how long are they used?

3. How is the durability of the lighting? How frequently do bulbs need to be replaced?

4. Has lighting been updated to more advanced lighting technology that is optimized to accurately represent true colors and detail to reduce glare, fatigue and eye strain for a more productive work area?

PORTABLE LIGHTING

Some questions to answer with regard to portable lighting products:

1. Where are portable lighting tools used – strictly indoors or both indoors and outdoors?

2. For cordless lighting tools, how long is the battery run-time? Will these products do their job for the entire shift? Should options like dual-source lights that allow the products to run longer be considered?

3. Are they designed for the professional user?

4. Do handheld products have comfortable, rubberized grips for secure handling?

5. Does the light head swivel or rotate, and does the light have a magnetic base or swivel hooks that allows maximum versatility when in use?