To test lighting in a facility, ask some staff members to wear sunglasses inside the facility for several hours. Then ask them how well they identify faces, read signs and see across a room.
If staff feel the facility is not properly lit, use a light meter to get a more accurate measure of existing light levels.
For visibility and comfort:
- Increase overall lighting without creating glare.
- Increase specific task lighting for particular activities.
- Create evenly lit spaces, retaining some shadows at room edges.
- Mix light sources.
- Cover light bulbs and use shades and sheer curtains in dining rooms, reading rooms and craft areas to avoid glare.
- Provide spaces where people can adjust to changes in light levels from room to room.
- Use low-glare floor coverings.
- Use lighting to make signs highly visible.
- Use lighting to make bedroom and bathroom entrances highly visible.
- Arrange seating, dining tables and television screens to avoid glare from windows.
- Use dimming control technology to adjust light as needed.
- Develop a maintenance schedule to clean lamp tubes and bulbs and replace them when they begin to dim or flicker.
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