WorkStation Light

Reduce Eye Strain

[digitalghost]

I recently received a very cool gadget as a gift. It's a simple fluorescent light that attaches to the top of the monitor and reflects the light toward the monitor and keyboard.

I can work with the rest of the lights in the room turned off and I have plenty of light, and NO glare. It swivels and and can be adjusted to direct the reflected light wherever I need it.

All these years staring at a monitor and I would have never thought to buy this thing. ;)

[marcs]

They are nice, aren't they?

I've had one for a while (Eclipse) and that is the only light that's been on in my computer room for as long as I can remember.

No more burning eyes at the end of the day, unless it is a very long day.

[digitalghost]

Funny you should mention Eclipse, that's the brand I received. I never really noticed the burning eyes, but when I finally fell into bed my eyes would water for ten to fifteen minutes, almost non-stop. That, has stopped.

[AAnnAArchy]

I just ordered two of them from RedEnvelope - they're on sale for only $14.99, plus $3 (10%) off with the code Per10.

Thanks for the tip. My eyes have been killing me, which often causes headaches.

[Woz]

I simply have a strongish lamp shining on the white ceiling, without the normal room light on, which gives a soft glow to the whole room. Same idea.

Onya
Woz

[TheDoctor]

I simply have a strongish lamp shining on the white ceiling, without the normal room light on, which gives a soft glow to the whole room. Same idea.

I've been using a desk light shing onto my desk for years now. I read your post, turned the lamp around, so that it shines onto the wall, and my eyes feel better already after just ten minutes.

I feel so stupid that I didn't think of this myself a long time ago.

Thanks for the tip, Woz.

[Craig_F]

don't know if it would work for you, but and LCD monitor enabled me to keep my computer job. eyes were giving me such problems I was just about to look for a manual labor job when I gave one a try. funny, I don't like how things look on an LCD, but my eyes apparently do.

[oilman]

>>my eyes would water for ten to fifteen minutes, almost non-stop

mine do that too but thought I was just crying because it was more day I couldn't crack top 10 at G - hehehe

[AAnnAArchy]

Just an update - both my partner and I set the lights up last night. So far, I'm liking it a lot. I thought for sure I'd hate having the light above my monitor, but it's been good.

[bird]

I can work with the rest of the lights in the room turned off

Do NOT turn off all the other lights in the room while working at the computer.

Your eyes need a balanced luminous environment. Just lighting your screen (from the inside ;)), the keyboard, and the close environment around them while leaving the rest of the room in the dark will cause fatigue and eye strain, because your eyes will continuously have to adapt back and forth between very different light levels.

The physiological optimum described in various standards says that the contrast (luminance, cd/m2) in the "infield area" (your work environment as described above), should not normally exceed 1/3. The contrast between "infield" and "outfield" (the rest of the room), or within the "outfield" should not normally exceed 1/10.

Note that contrast doesn't mean the quotient between two values, it is the quotient beteween the difference of the two values and the smaller value. I can scrape more details and reasoning from the back of my mind (and my documentation) if anyone cares.

This isn't to say that you didn't get a cool light. It's quite adequate for the task, mainly because it decently illuminates your workspace without causing glare on the monitor. Just that doing this isn't enough to cater for all your visual needs.

Another tip: If you set the lighting so that the area behind you is dark, then you'll reduce reflections and potential glare on the monitor even more.

[dragonlady7]

I have it set up so that the lights in my section are off, there's a window with daylight to one side slightly, mostly behind my monitor, and there's a fluorescent light on to the other side behind my monitor shining on my keyboard and the rest of my workspace.
If the area lights are on, it gives me terrible headaches, because I think then my monitor's not bright enough and I have to strain to focus on objects on the computer screen. It really was instant-- I was in terrible pain, one of my coworkers took pity on me and turned off the lights in our area, and within minutes I was happily back to work. Thank heavens there are only four of us in the area, three of which are adamant about having the lights off-- i dread the day when the one woman who wants the lights on wins out.
I think having the window there helps with enough ambient light. I still strain my eyes at work, but moving myself farther physically away from my monitor has helped somewhat. (Otherwise I tend to sit with my face right up to the screen, successfully reducing my eyes and brain to jelly.) Terrible habit, and one I don't have with the iMac I use at home. LCD screens are so much more pleasant on the eyes... I think they look more crisp, too, so while the colors may be a little funny, they're not at all bad.

[bird]

If the area lights are on, it gives me terrible headaches, because I think then my monitor's not bright enough and I have to strain to focus on objects on the computer screen. It really was instant-- I was in terrible pain, one of my coworkers took pity on me and turned off the lights in our area, and within minutes I was happily back to work.

Unfortunately, typical office lighting installations in the US are completely inadequate for any kind of computer work. They tend to radiate equal amounts of diffuse light into all directions. What you need instead is a lighting system that has a relatively low cut-off angle. All the light should leave the fixture in the range between 0 degrees (vertically) and around 50 degrees (slightly above the diagonal). No light should be emitted above that limit, or it will shine on your monitor in an angle that causes a bright haze, reducing the contrast of the display and thus the legibility of its contents.

If you find any way to modify the lighting in your office according to those requirements, then you can safely turn the lights back on. Otherwise, they'll continue to be a health hazard to you and your coworkers.

I tend to sit with my face right up to the screen, successfully reducing my eyes and brain to jelly.

Besides the lighting, you either need a better monitor, some glasses, or both. Ask your employer for an LCD screen. Your increased health, happiness, and productivity will amortize the costs for them probably within a few months, if not weeks.