Poor lighting conditions at work

steerpike

I work for a branch of a large international company - the office is large and open plan. The main source of lighting is overhead fluorescent tubes - but less than 20% of the tubes actually work. Its not too bad on bright days but when its raining and during winter , it gets very gloomy except for the lucky individuals who have a working tube directly above their workstation..
The managements response to staff requests to get the tubes replaced is that its too expensive to get someone in to do them and if staff are that bothered, staff should get the ladders out and replace the tubes themselves...we have tried but the ceiling is too high to reach unless we stand the step ladders on the desks..and no-one is brave/desperate enough for that...yet
Any ideas what can be done in this situation? No-one wants to make a big thing of it because everyone fears that they would be perceived as a troublemaker and with the way things are jobwise that individual would be the first to get made redundant. We are not in a union and the safety reps attitude is to just shrug his shoulders. There is a lot of collective grumbling but no-one knows what else can be done....

ohreally

Your employer is failing to comply with duties placed on them in law...

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1992/Uksi_19923004_en_2.htm#mdiv8 - 8.—(1) Every workplace shall have suitable and sufficient lighting

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1974/cukpga_19740037_en_2#pt1-pb2-l1g2

Report the employer to the enforcing authority, either HSE or local EHO - depending on industry, they will almost certainly issue an improvement notice.

Savvy_Sue

Desk lamps? It might provide a better environment anyway.

Not that I disagree with what ohreally says. The employer has a duty to address the problem: whether that's by changing the tubes or providing alternative lighting.

And the ladder suggestion is surely in breach of the employer's H&S responsibilities?

Could a group of you point this out?

I_luv_cats

Doesn't the company or landlord have a maintenance contract?? Are you a member of a union??

Light meters are a way of ascertaining whether you are being impeded by the lack of light.

steerpike

ohreally wrote: »

Your employer is failing to comply with duties placed on them in law...

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1992/Uksi_19923004_en_2.htm#mdiv8 - 8.—(1) Every workplace shall have suitable and sufficient lighting

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1974/cukpga_19740037_en_2#pt1-pb2-l1g2

Report the employer to the enforcing authority, either HSE or local EHO - depending on industry, they will almost certainly issue an improvement notice.

Many thanks for that ohreally - thats really helpful, I will have a look at that today.
I appreciate that the manangement want to keep expenses down but I don't think that the cost of replacing light bulbs is that major in the scheme of things...especially when the management are still roaring round in their Company BMW's....

paulwf

Just a couple of quick thoughts...

1) Could you work out the price to get the size of ladder you require and ask the managers to buy one? A quick search suggests most ladders are £100, they will need to replace the bulbs one day as more blow so that would solve the problem once and for all.

2) Would a local electrical suppliers come to some sort of deal with you to supply and fit? If it is a simple task they might charge a nominal fee for fitting as they will get to supply the goods. The management may be worried they have to call out an electrician with a £50 call out fee or something.

newlywed

We had official H&S workstation assessments at work on anyone with any minor twinge of rsi type pain....

They used to bring in a lux meter to calculate the exact light available in their workstation and give recommendations as to whether they needed additional lighting provided (desk lamps). So there must be a recommendation somewhere down the line, even if it's not an exact level for law.

newlywed

paulwf wrote: »

Just a couple of quick thoughts...

1) Could you work out the price to get the size of ladder you require and ask the managers to buy one? A quick search suggests most ladders are £100, they will need to replace the bulbs one day as more blow so that would solve the problem once and for all.

It's not just a case of buying a ladder these days, there's risk assessment and health and safety stuff to make sure people know how to set it up correctly and not to lean too far off it and stuff like that.

If staff fell off a ladder saying management provided it for them to change the lights with no H&S instructions - then they could be sued.


Can you tell I used to work in a law firm??? We were banned from walking in bare or socked feet in case someone trod on a drawing pin and sued them for it.

teabelly

They could also be sued if someone tripped and fell due to poor lighting.....would put the cost of the tube replacement into the shade (I'll get my coat!)

ohreally

paulwf wrote: »

Just a couple of quick thoughts...

1) Could you work out the price to get the size of ladder you require and ask the managers to buy one? A quick search suggests most ladders are £100, they will need to replace the bulbs one day as more blow so that would solve the problem once and for all.

Couple of issues with this Ladders are not for working from on this type of job, you really should use either small portable scaffolding or mobile elevated work platform. There may be an implication that the op or colleagues may then carry out this job - are they trained and competent to do the work? If something had to go wrong, falls from height are the biggest workplace cause of deaths in the UK, the insurer will almost certainly through a hissy fit for management allowing this - not necessarily a good idea however i appreciate you were trying to be helpful.

steerpike

Many thanks for all your replies. I didn't know that it was a statutory requirement for employers to maintain lighting. The difficult thing now is what to do next. We in a recession hit industry and everyone (including myself) is worried about making waves as we are fearful that retribution, in the form of redundancy, would follow.