Flickering lights in the workplace are at best annoying and at worse dangerous. A simple flicker test can tell you if you need to invest in better lights.
Lights that flicker can trigger headaches, migraines, and even seizures. The old filament strip lights were known for developing strong flickers but all lighting is susceptible to this. Flickers are caused by changes in the electrical current feeding the light. Where there is a disturbance in that current, it causes the light the flicker. For this reason, if you are using dimmers with your LED lights, it can cause a flicker.
Not all flickers are the same, in fact, you may not notice most lights such is the speed at which they are changing. However, even these subtle changes in light supply can have a negative impact on our eyes and even cause eye fatigue.
Flicker Test
The easiest way to check if your lights are flickering is to look at them through the camera on your smartphone. If you see some dark and light bands travelling from your bulb then you have a flicker. Your smartphone camera will capture the image of the light at a discrete frequency so can detect the subtle changes.
You can also download an app to your smartphone that will accurately measure the level of flicker occurring in your lights. This is particularly useful if you have an iPhone as the screens on these phones cannot be used for this flicker test.
What can be done?
Good quality LED-lights are designed to cope with the changes in electrical currents and therefore you do not get the flicker. Ensuring that your lighting installation company are using products that are known to not flicker is the best place to start. If you currently have lights that flicker then it is worth considering replacing them.
At Save Energy 2 Day we understand the importance of the right flicker-free light for your internal workspace. Contact us for more information.
