You might wonder why the lighting for warehouses might be any different than any other location and the answer is quite simple because warehouse workers often get in contact with heavy objects or machinery and thus their security and the security of everyone around them is really important as they have to watch out for passer bys, approaching vehicles, slippery areas and broken pavements when doing their job.
You might not notice what makes a good lighting good so we’ll start off with poor lighting first as to what makes them poor:
1- Not using the right type of lights: Using cheaper alternatives to LED lighting, Fluorescent and HID, while seems like a cost effective way at first but will hurt on the long run as LED lights use less electricity and provide better lighting, so it’s a better choice for your people and your pockets.
2- Not using the right amount of lights: Not enough lighting is a safety hazard and will result in mistakes. Too much will result in squinting and eye fatigue
3- Not using the right type of fixtures: You need fixtures that best meet your needs and are not low quality which will lead to faster depreciation.
Additional lighting on top of what is normally used or permanent is also required in highly focused tasks such as loading or unloading, this lighting is also best if it’s movable or at least adjustable so it fits the needs of the workers.
So what are the main benefits of proper warehouse lighting?
1- Create a comfortable working environment which impacts the employees’ job performance and satisfaction level.
2- Increase the work productivity and efficiency with lesser chances of work related accidents
3- Environmentally friendly; with lighting consuming less power per unit (lumen) of light emitted, to maximize savings in your warehouse.
It’s important to note that natural lighting is crucial to be planned out as well as it’s a lot easier and more functional to work in it provided that the workers are getting enough of it in all areas including passageways, stairs areas, workbench and around machinery in order to make it a safe place to work. This is easily done when designing the warehouse, one has to plan out the location of the side windows and the skylights which also help in the ventilation of the space and avoids the place from overheating.
Upkeep:
Needless to say that maintenance should be carried out on the facility constantly to make sure that lamps that need changing are addressed and that the ceiling and walls are cleaned since light reflects off of them.
Cutting costs is only beneficial in the short run and it’ll haunt you back if something bad happens to your workers so proper lighting is always highly recommended for the success of any business as it contributes to the safety and health of your workers and it decreases workplace errors.
Upgrading the Lighting of your warehouse depends on many factors, from facility size, the storage area or how close the ceiling is. Which is why it’s crucial to get an expert opinion to get the most optimal solution for you. Fill in our contact form, and we can discuss your tailored solution or answer a question which you might have.