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Proper warehouse lighting has a direct effect on the safety and productivity of your workers. Sub-par lighting compromises your workers’ ability to do their jobs. Insufficient lighting can also cost you money when it comes to the use of energy in your warehouse. Here are 5 tips to help you choose the best lighting for your warehouse.
Limit Glare. While LED lighting is the most popular form of warehouse lighting, it comes with a major downfall. Bright LED lighting causes a spotlight effect and casts a lot of light in one particular direction without projecting to other parts of the room. Workers run the risk of temporarily blinding themselves if they accidentally look directly into an LED light, thus potentially causing accidents such as tripping or crashing a forklift in to something or, worse, someone. You should utilize reflectors in your lighting to reduce glare or choose glare reducing bulbs when installing it.
Fit the Lighting to the Warehouse. Most warehouses have notoriously high ceilings. Even though your installed lighting will reach the floor, it might not be enough light. You must not only have enough lighting, but it also has to be effective lighting. Cost saving bulbs may save you money up front, but they might not shed as much light on the floor as more expensive, brighter bulbs. Spend the money on good lighting, and you will not need to spend money on the accidents which are caused by bad lighting.
Choose Color Wisely. You do not realize the importance of color in warehouse lighting until you choose the wrong color. The color of your lights has an effect on the contrast and clarity of items in the warehouse. This in turn has an effect on how easy it is for your workers to read labels and barcodes. They will be able to read in any light, but you do not want them straining their eyes. The best color of lighting to choose for your warehouse and for ease of reading is a color which mimics natural lighting. Pay attention to the Color Rendering Index (CRI). CRI is how you measure the light’s ability to cast light in a natural color. The higher the CRI number, the more natural the lighting. The number should be no lower than 85.
Consider Energy Saving Options. While some energy saving options might be more expensive up front, they will save you money in the long run. You can also look into control options for lights to turn off automatically when they are not being used.
Know Your Supplier. Like any other type of supplier, you need to be sure the supplier of your lighting needs is selling you good quality items. Choose a supplier who has your interests in mind and is not solely focused on making money and would take advantage of your lack of lighting knowledge.
