When office furniture specifiers hear the term task lighting, they often think of under-shelf or under-cabinet task lighting. There also is another type of task lighting called adjustable arm task lighting.

Adjustable arm task lighting is a work surface, wall mounted or panel mounted fixture that offers flexible arm and head joints. This flexibility allows office workers to adjust the task light to meet individual work requirements and visual needs.

Adjustable arm task lighting is available in several different arm styles ranging from 15 to 32 inches in length. They have a versatile variety of mounting options including table clamps, wall brackets, freestanding table bases and even panel brackets that fit many of the proprietary open office furniture systems that now are available.

What makes adjustable arm task lighting unique is its capability to fit into almost any office furniture configuration. Most furniture manufacturers use slotted standards in their office panel sections. Adjustable arm task lighting offers panel brackets that actually fit into these slotted panel sections. If the office doesn't have a panel system, then one of the other mounting options can be used. Therefore, the adjustable arm task light can be optimally positioned and provides office workers with a premium lighting solution.

Under-shelf Versus Adjustable Arm
Most under-shelf task lighting offers constant illumination over a large area of the work station. This type of lighting is ideal for office workers who require a large amount of task-intensive illumination. As long as ambient overhead lighting levels are low, and there are no computer screens in the immediate areas, this can be a sound lighting solution.

However, since most under-shelf task lighting comes with the work station, sometimes little thought is placed on light output. Often the illumination on the work surface is too high when combined with overhead lighting. Plus, instead of illuminating written material on document stands, under-shelf lighting illuminates the wall behind written material, creating conditions of high contrast and glare.

Adjustable arm task lighting illuminates a selected area of the work station and works well in areas where office workers perform multiple tasks requiring light at different areas. This task lighting also works well in computer-intensive work environments since the light is able to be positioned close to the computer.

Some adjustable arm task lighting also helps eliminate the problem of reflective glare by using a parabolic louver system which diffuses light and directs it only to the area that needs illuminating. This parabolic louver system limits the exit angle of the reflector which helps prevent direct and indirect glare on work surfaces and VDTs. Adjustable arm task lighting is used most effectively when certain areas need to be illuminated, not the entire desktop.

Specification Guidelines
Important questions should be considered when specifying lighting for an office environment. If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, then adjustable arm lighting may be a sound lighting solution.

• Are ambient (general) light levels too high, causing glare on the computer screen and work surfaces?

   

• Does the worker perform many tasks in his work area that require illumination at different work station locations?

   

• Is there a high contrast of light and dark areas in the work station?

   

• Is the under-shelf lighting causing reflective glare on the VDT?

   

• Is glare a problem in general?

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