Assessment of illumination in Tehran electrical industries

Lack of quantitative and qualitative data on the current status and the possible adverse effect of poor illumination necessitate the evaluation of the illumination system in the industrial section. To perform quantitative and qualitative assessments of illumination conditions in factories located in the west of Tehran and to look at the adverse consequences of insufficient illumination. Data were collected through objective measurements and interviews with 616 factory workers. We used a structured questionnaire for data collection. Out of the total number of work sites inspected, 19.8% sufficient illumination, 46.1% had moderate illumination, and 29.7% work sites had illumination levels considered to be inadequate for precise tasks. Among those who worked in places with moderate illumination, 56.7% belonged to the 16-20 years age group; 86.7% of individuals within this age group had to perform very precise tasks. Besides, 46.4% of the female workers and 45.7% of the males worked in places with moderate illumination. Work site observations and interviews revealed that those working under moderate and insufficient light commonly inhaled hazardous fumes and suffered from headaches and glare. Factory work entails a variety of visual tasks. Besides creating a pleasant working environment, illumination of the workplace should provide sufficient amounts of light, visibility, luminance and contrast.