Steps to take

Your work station

The best position for your workstation is across the direction of natural lighting (not in front of a window or with a window behind you). This is to avoid glare from windows. Being close to a window is beneficial however - it gives you a chance to rest your eyes during screen breaks.

Now make yourself comfortable

First adjust your work station (the seating, desk height, desk layout, screen height) until you are comfortable. If you like to change the way you sit at the VDU during the day the procedure below will have to be repeated.

Get the screen brightness right.

Adjust the screen brightness and contrast on your VDU screen to suit your own needs. Ask for help if you do not know where the controls are. Remember you can readjust this if your needs change.

Match the background lighting to the screen brightness

Adjust background lighting

• lighting must be adjustable because of seasonal and individual needs
• natural lighting is always preferable; use blinds or special window glass to reduce maximum levels of sunlight. Are walls too bright or reflective ?
• consider changes to internal decorations, screens, etc.

Get rid of glare

Are windows or lightfittings in your field of view when you are working at the VDU ?

• move your workstation
• close blinds on windows (the least satisfactory solution)
• install lightfittings which cast light down and cannot be seen from the workstation use 'uplighters'

Place a mirror on the screen. If you can see reflections of light fittings or windows in the mirror (or on the screen):

• move the workstation
• alter the light fittings
• fit an antiglare screen (NB this can make viewing the screen at some angles more difficult)

Use task lighting

Anything else you need to work on must adequately lit; papers on a copyholder or on the desk, etc. Obtain adjustable task lighting which is shaded from your direct line of vision

Types of lighting

• Halogen lighting - should be avoided for VDU work
• Tungsten or metal halide lamps - other lamp types acceptable for use in offices
• Fluorescent lighting - should be flicker free and well-maintained
• 'Daylight bulbs' - have a spectrum of light which is more comfortable for the eye
• Environmentally friendly lighting - includes fluorescent lights which use less energy

Lighting levels

Average lighting level required for normal office tasks: 200 lux (not less than 100 lux). Difference between background and task lighting not more than five-fold

The law

The law (Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992) requires adequate lighting for Display Screen (VDU) jobs, but the schedule on acceptable practice gives more detail:

a) Any room lighting or task lighting provided shall ensure satisfactory lighting conditions and an appropriate contrast betweent the screen and the background environment, taking into account the type of work and the vision requirements of the operator or user.

Possible disturbing glare and reflections on the screen or other equipment shall be prevented by coordinatiing workplace and workstation layout with the positioning and technical characteristics of the artificial light sources.

b) Workstations shall be so designed that sources of light, such as windows and other openings, transparent or translucid walls, and brightly coloured fixtures or walls cause no direct glare and no distracting reflections on the screen. Windows shall be fitted with a suitable system of adjustable covering to attenuate the daylight that falls on the workstation.'