How can you reduce blue light hazards in your workplace?

You may not know it yet, but that bright overhead work lighting may be giving you insomnia… and more.

Energy-efficient light bulbs, your computer, and your phone contain light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that contain a mix of yellow and blue light to deliver that intense white and brightness. While energy-efficient, overexposure could be bad for your health.

Though sunlight is the largest source of blue light, exposure has greatly increased in other ways with the use of artificial light sources. Many new overhead lighting systems in today’s facilities use LED technology and emit larger amounts of blue light than ever before; even the back-lit screens on your digital devices use LEDs. Think of places you visit regularly, the doctor, the mall, the grocery store, and yes, even your workplace environment – all these places expose blue light to your eyes.

The problem is, not all colors of light have the same effect on individuals. According to Harvard research, blue light is the culprit of several known health issues over long periods.

Blue light blues

Blue light isn’t necessarily bad. A huge benefit of blue wavelengths is that they’re important during daylight hours to help you boost attention, reaction times, and mood.

However, it’s the increase in means and longevity of exposure that can bring on negative effects. Over time, too much exposure to blue light during working hours via working in bright warehouses, manufacturing facilities, automotive plants, and more can cause damage to the eye.

Blue light’s short wavelengths penetrate to the back of the eye, harming the retina cells. Long-term, that damage can lead to macular degeneration, a condition in which a person loses his or her central vision (peripheral vision is unaffected) and can no longer see fine details. The worst part is, such damage can develop slowly over time, and the effects are irreversible.

You could be losing sleep

Back to “bright overhead lighting may be giving you insomnia” – the added proliferation of energy-efficient [LED] light sources and electronics with screens is increasing our exposure to blue wavelengths, especially at work and after sundown. The combination of blue light with nighttime seems to be when it is most disruptive.

Here’s why: the same reason that blue light is good for you during the day is why it is bad for you at night; it disrupts your biological clock (also known as your circadian rhythm). Exposure to light suppresses the secretion of melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep), and the lower melatonin levels might explain the association with sleepless nights and daytime fatigue. Sleepless nights lead to short-term lack of sleep or insomnia, which impairs cognitive function thus affecting memory, attention span, and the ability to reason.

What’s worse is that if persistent, insomnia can eventually contribute to serious physical and mental health problems, with research showing that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

In fact, a study found a 60 percent higher incidence rate of breast cancer in nurses and attributed it to the blue component in light used in facilities during the night shift³.

What can you do?

The good news is that many of the eye issues listed above are preventable. The number one safety measure you can take is to wear safety glasses that reduce harmful blue light. This is recommended for workplaces that have workers with prolonged exposure to harsh artificial light sources (mainly LED lighting), access to digital devices for extended periods of time, and especially for those working the night shift.

If you do not have access to blue light safety eyewear, here are some tips that you can implement right now to help mitigate the effects of blue light:

• Build awareness with your employees on the effects of blue light
• Take a quick break if you’re starting to feel eye strain, fatigue, or headaches
• Shift workers to different applications to help prevent extended exposure to areas of high blue light exposure
• Use a blue light filtering screen or turn off the blue light settings on your digital device
• Limit the use of LED screen devices to one hour at a time
• Build blinking exercises into your daily routine to work eye muscles and refocus your eyesight

HexArmor® can help

Take your safety a step further with HexArmor®. We’ve got a new eyewear solution, the CBR65® lens, that will help you get your sleep back.

The CBR65® lens by HexArmor® is a revolution in eyewear protection, giving workers more Contrast enhancement, Blue light reduction, and Relaxed vision with 65% transmission – thus the CBR65® name. CBR65® not only absorbs around 50% of blue light, but also provides better contrast and 65% visible light transmission, both indoors and outdoors.

Here are the benefits:

• Blue light exposure is reduced up to 50%, making this lens ideal for tasks with high visual requirements, especially in bright artificial light.
• Better contrast with no masking of color comprehension provides clearer vision and a reduced strain on the eyes.
• 65% visible light transmission delivers a relaxed field of vision and prevents the eye from getting tired too fast.
• Even in particularly bright workplaces, the wearer can remain focused for a longer length of time, improving productivity and reducing risk.

Are you or your workers at risk?

Let us know if you need help or if you're ready to start a trial - our Solution Specialists are ready to work with you. Call 1-877-MY ARMOR or send us a message.

Browse all HexArmor® eye protection

Plus, download your very own Blue Light Assessment Checklist to use in your workplace.