Embracing Evolution: Are Your Control Room’s Lighting Design and Usage Aligned for Optimal Performance?
One often overlooked but critical aspect of modern control room design is the lighting environment. Do your control room staff utilise lighting according to its original design intent, or do they resort to dimming or turning off lights due to operational shortcomings?
In our extensive experience, spanning over 35 years designing 24/7 safety-critical working environments, we've identified lighting and acoustics as two pivotal elements, where poor design leads to significant staff dissatisfaction. Operators are quick to voice concerns when these critical elements aren't properly understood and incorporated into the design.
While acoustics present challenges in identifying root causes and implementing control measures, lighting issues are often resolved by simply dimming or turning off lights. However, this quick fix poses substantial operational risks, compromising operator performance, vigilance, and well-being.
Standards and guidelines typically outline target illuminance levels but fall short in addressing the quality and characteristics of light. The Unified Glare Rating (UGR) formula attempts to tackle glare, yet its complexity, especially concerning factors like Omega and Guth figures related to operator lines of sight, remains misunderstood.
The complexity intensifies in modern control rooms with dynamic layouts and advanced display systems. It's crucial to note that UGR<19 applies to the overall operational layout and design, not just the lighting fixtures.
Retrofitting lighting designs post-operation is not only costly but also disruptive. Avoiding such issues necessitates engaging specialists during the original design phase to ensure lighting solutions are tailored to meet operational needs effectively.
Are Your Control Room's Lighting Design and Usage Aligned for Optimal Performance?
