It’s a common misconception that any old commercial lighting will do for any situation. This way of thinking can potentially cause OSHA issues as well as hinder productivity and accuracy.

No one ever really thinks about it when they walk into a store and they encounter a brightly lit environment that invites shoppers to look closely at each product for endless hours but the thought that went into lighting a super store is a painstaking process and a strategic process that ensures shoppers stay in the store and don’t experience shopper’s fatigue.
Any person in charge of designing a store, warehouse, office or any other environment where people will congregate should pay special attention to the lighting needs that will help to ensure the proper atmosphere for productivity, visual stimulation and regulatory needs. This can be a daunting process but there are numerous reasons why proper commercial lighting is a must.

An improperly lit environment can cause health issues to workers like headaches, migraines and mental fatigue. Not only will this hinder productivity it can have a dramatic increase on absence rates and even attrition rates. When a workspace is properly lit it allows a worker to focus clearly, be more productive and even work longer periods before rest is needed. This can have a very large affect on employee morale, production output and it can help maintain long-term employment. The end result is a slightly increased cost in lighting that is counter balanced by higher profits and employees with tenured skills and higher job satisfaction.

A second factor in the importance of proper commercial lighting is customer driven. If a customer patrons a store that has poorly lit overhead and display lighting it will make it hard to read product details listed on packaging and it will cause shopper’s fatigue. When they happens sales will decrease and that customer is likely to seek out a better retail experience. This is compounded by the fact that many products have package designed that work with lighting to enhance their attractiveness to consumers. Poor lighting will make packaging look dull and uninviting thus also driving down sales. If you have proper lighting there will be a larger sense of excitement from customer’s and product sales will be higher and more consistent.

It’s also very important to meet City, state, local and OSHA regulations. In most cases these regulations are a minimum guideline that ensure a poor lighting does not damage employee or customer’s eyes. All regulations should be met because poor lighting that does not meet regulation can put a business in a situation to suffer several fines by regulatory agencies. It can also put a business at risk of litigation from employees negatively affected by lighting conditions. In worse case it can also force a closure of a business due to failure to comply. Maintaining the proper lighting will avid these pit falls.

With the proper lighting employees are given an advantage that will open doors to improved productivity, accuracy and employee satisfaction. Customers will be ready to spend money because a properly lit environment will enhance their shopping experience.