Abstract
Background In this era of Information Communication Technology, a high-quality working environment is essential to the occupants. Providing quantity rather the quality of work environments is very common in most of the least developed countries, including Tanzania. Existing research asserts that poor indoor environmental quality such as lighting has a detrimental effect on human health, and in case of the office working population, it also affects their work performance. This study aims to analyze the effects of the lighting quality on working efficiency of workers in Tanzania. Methods Four representative offices from the administration building at Mbeya University of Science and Technology were investigated from June to September 2018. The customized questionnaire survey tool was administered to the randomly selected occupants to survey their perceptions about the quality of lighting in their workplace and its influence on their health and work efficiency. Physical observation and illuminance distribution measurements were also conducted. Results The statistical analysis indicates that the majority of the occupants are less satisfied with the lighting quality in their working environment, and some respondents reported that it significantly affected their work efficiency and wellbeing. The average desk illuminance and uniformity level were found to be below the recommended values of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the International Commission on lighting (CIE). Conclusion Despite the suggested improvement measures, this research emphasizes that poorly articulated work environment can adversely affect the productivity and work efficiency of the workers. The workers in such condition are also exposed to occupational diseases. Thus, providing a healthy work environment should be a fundamental right of the workers.
Highlights
For the past two decades, most of the sub-Saharan African countries have recorded unprecedented economic development and population growth
Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that inadequate lighting environment in offices affects workers’ well-being, work productivity, and efficiency, similar studies in developing countries especially in African countries are still rare. us, the primary objective of this study is to analyze the effects of the office building lighting quality on working efficiency of workers in Tanzania. e research is very significant in promoting awareness and providing a contribution to the existing body of knowledge regarding the effect of inadequate lighting environment on occupants’ health, productivity, and working efficiency
In 2012, upon fulfilling the minimum requirements for university accreditation by Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), Mbeya Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) was accredited as a university, and it was renamed Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) [2]. roughout all these transformations, very few infrastructural changes and increment from the existing ones were done, despite the exponential increment of the number of students and staff members. e demand to accommodate the increased number of occupants in the existing buildings has seen the alteration of many indoor open spaces, transition spaces, stores, basement spaces, and assembly points into classrooms and staff’s offices. ese alterations have necessitated the existence of windowless rooms and spaces with little natural light, much dependencies on artificial lighting, and even inadequate artificial lighting environment
Summary
For the past two decades, most of the sub-Saharan African countries have recorded unprecedented economic development and population growth. In the least developed countries, especially subSaharan Africa, this case is still not clear and lacks some research [17] Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of workplace illumination are considered by many researchers as the key factors determining the employees’ productivity. In this era of Information Communication Technology, a high-quality working environment is essential to the occupants. Providing quantity rather the quality of work environments is very common in most of the least developed countries, including Tanzania. Existing research asserts that poor indoor environmental quality such as lighting has a detrimental effect on human health, and in case of the office working population, it affects their work performance. Despite the suggested improvement measures, this research emphasizes that poorly articulated work environment can adversely affect the productivity and work efficiency of the workers. e workers in such condition are exposed to occupational diseases. us, providing a healthy work environment should be a fundamental right of the workers
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