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Lighting

To help prevent repetitive strain injury, or RSI, the lighting in a work environment must be conducive with the set up of the office. Lighting is important, as unsatisfactory lighting can cause undue strain on the eyes. Your eyes are irreplaceable, and damaging them because of bad lighting while at work, may not be worth the salary you make each year.

In the office, there needs to be an appropriate light contrast between the background environment and the screen. Sources of light like windows, floor lamps, and desk lamps need to be positioned so that reflection or glare on the computer screen is reduced. Lighting should also be moderate enough for comfortable eyesight when viewing a computer screen. Avoid viewing a computer screen, while at work, in the dark. This puts too much strain on the eyes as the variance between the background environment and the screen is highly contrasted.

The following are tips to help reduce strain on the eyes while at work:

• Reduce glare- It is a good idea to view something other than your computer screen if you are viewing it for long periods of time. Non-reflective items, like paper, are the best to look at when giving your eyes a break from the computer screen.

• Adjust contrast- Monitors have settings to adjust contrast to a more comfortable level and make the screen sharper. They also have lighting settings, so make sure they are at an appropriate level as well.

• Bring in a desk lamp- If there is fluorescent lighting in your office bring in a desk lamp with a regular 40 watt bulb to help reduce the strain on your eyes from the harsh fluorescent lighting.

Anything you can do to reduce the risk of RSI is both a benefit to you as well as the company you work for. Companies are aware of the risks of RSI and many take good measures to help reduce these risks. If you are suffering from eye strain from improper lighting, it is always a good idea to let your superior at the company you work for know about the problem.