Polarized task lighting to reduce reflective glare in open-plan office cubicles

Abstract

This ergonomic study deals with the common situation where a glossy document is placed between a viewer and an under-shelf task light source in a common open-plan office cubicle workstation. With a task lamp in front, when looking at a document a viewer sees two images, the document itself and specular glare, which is the reflected image of the light source. Specular glare or veiling reflection causes eye discomfort, makes it difficult to read a document and has been thought to contribute to eyestrain. This paper analyzes the application of polarized lighting for this specific situation. The use of a linear polarized light source helps to minimize specular glare by darkening the reflected image of the light source on the document. The performance and predictive optimization of the use of polarized lighting in this situation is investigated according to female and male viewer height demographics. Theoretical predictions and light measurement analysis of specular glare reduction are compared with empirical results from testing on a panel of humans on semi-gloss finish and matte finish papers. This study shows that with the right alteration of a polarized light source position, specular glare may be significantly reduced, and correlations exist between the theory, empirical measurements and the human response to specular glare reduction.