I Need Help on Lighting!

[knothing]

The department that I work in was moved to a newly built area with brand new hand built from stained wood. But the cubes are lower and the florescent light now shine brighter than ever. On the first day I got a terrible headache so I went out to the car and got my sunglasses and they diminished the headache. I went a few days wearing them and still had a mild headache. Then I got stupid and tried a whole day without them. The headache was so bad that I could barely function to get home and it took 2 hours for me to feel better.
I brought this up to my boss and he took it to maintenance who essentially said that they could not change fixtures, take out bulbs or get different bulbs. I think this is a bunch of crap.......there has to be a way to get different bulbs but I cannot find easy answers about lower lumen 48 inch bulbs to show them what is out there.
Does anyone know anything about where I can find these to present to my company?
They did offer a kind of solution before saying go to HR and it still will not help. Wear sunglasses all the time or go move into these 2 cubes away from everyone else. The cubes away from everyone still have lights right on top of you they are just in a corner with the printers whirring all day. My company is trying to be a more employee friendly place except in my case. I get people making fun of me and the glasses and I can't wait to see what they say if I have to move and even then glasses may be required. I might hang a sign over those cubes to say here is where we keep our Epileptics. Just so frustrated that after all these years to find that the look of the lighting is more important that me.

Sorry to rant.....

 

[Ruth]

Hi Knothing,

Do these lights affect your seizures? What kind of seizures do you have?

 

[Krista2882]

That sucks. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I'm not sure how big your company is, but the company I work for is worldwide and they basically dictate what each branch can use for lighting because they're trying to be "greener". They changed them all out a couple of years ago to bulbs that use less energy, and they definitely wouldn't let any be replaced with a different type of bulb. I don't know if your company is this strict and that's the reason they said they can't change the bulbs.
Are your cubicles tall or short? If they're tall maybe you can put some kind of screen over it? Or if they put you in a corner of the office you can cover up the lights over your desk with a screen or something solid and use a desk lamp in your cube? If you have short cubicles, I don't really have any suggestions. Sorry!

 

[Nakamova]

This might be of interest:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/do-fluorescent-lights-trigger-migraines/?_r=0

Go ahead and wear your sunglasses -- don't worry about how you look -- and consider getting a specialized set like those found here: http://irlen.com/index.php

 

[Endless]

Oh, man. I'm so sorry. Both for your company's inflexibility, and your coworker's insensitivity.

LED lights are made now to replace almost all other types of bulbs including 48" bulbs, plus they don't flicker like florescent lights do. LED's can tend to be very bright. Bright light bothers me, but it's the imperceptible flickering from florescents that triggers migraines and seizures for me.

http://www.ledlight.com/led-tube-lighting.aspx

I suppose they'd give you a hard time if you put up a market umbrella. The umbrellas come in all different sizes, some as small as 6 feet around. Cubicle sized! And some you can tilt to just the right angle!

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...&searchRedirect=umbrella&redAB=B#/?c=1&rpp=96


Okay, maybe that'd be overkill.

Seriously - wear the sunglasses. If you feel comfortable with it just tell your coworkers that fluorescent lights give you migraines. Hopefully they'll be more understanding. If you're a funny person and your workplace has any fun at all then get them sunglasses too and if they bring up the topic of your sunglasses, you can hand the cheap-O's out like party favors in reply.
http://www.sunglassville.com
www.discountpartysuppliesfavors.com

 

[knothing]

Thanks everyone. We have short cubes and they maintenance staff wants to hold their ground and not bother. The only seizures that I cannot control at this point are deja vu's. I do get a headache every day even with shades on I eventually get a headache. I went to talk to my boss and took them off and ten minutes into the meeting full tilt migraine.
My eyes just get worn out doing work with shades on but the funny part is most people in the office are in a full panic about what could happen to me, shame the people who can make changes are not as caring. Endless I like the LED lights and might run that up the flag pole with someone.
If I move to the isolation area (don't think it will work) I still think putting up a sign that says 'Epileptic Storage Area" would be hilarious but a little over the top seeing how the constant jokes are really ticking me off.

Again thanks everyone and if anyone has more ideas add them on because I will use check them all out.

 

[knothing]

Saw my Neuro yesterday and he is concerned about headaches and the deja vu's have had an increase in intensity when they have occurred since the move. My focus is off in this area, grrrr.

 

[Endless]

Knothing,

If you think flickering might be the problem and not color or brightness, then LED is the answer. If brightness is the problem then LED might not be great for you - LED's are brighter than regular bulbs.

Some Home Depots and/or other home stores have a display that shows the difference between the light source colors; you flick the switch and it goes from florescent to LED to soft white, etc. Look for it in the paint department.

Some also have a display with an illustration showing brightness - look in the lightbulb department for that one. It may just have the bulbs and no display. In that case I bet the clerk would screw in one of the small bulbs into something for you so you can test and compare.

A last step might be to confirm an LED 48" bulb can be used in a regular florescent light fixture. I have LED bulbs in my lamps and light fixtures but they are small ones (light bulb sized).

LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity that florescent bulbs do, and right now there are rebates on them in some counties so it makes it affordable.

 

[knothing]

I don't think brightness is the overall issue. I can go out in the sun and survive without headaches. It may be the type and amount of exposure. I used to sit next to windows so plenty of natural light to balance the florescent light and less banks of light bulbs. This morning it took 10 minutes without glasses to achieve a small headache which seems to be the norm. I have to take them off occasionally until I can afford a better pair.
It just stinks to have overcome so many personal hurdles in managing my 'quirks' in my epilepsy to have another handed to me. A real punch in the gut and like everyone else I have to find a way to balance this while maintaining my composure. Not easy to do but at least I have my CWE family to help me out. Thanks.

 

[Endless]

It IS hard. Working around triggers or things that make us sick becomes second nature, I guess.

Even some members of my family think I'm nuts because I'm so picky about no alcohol or coffee, or wearing sunglasses when my head hurts, or always squatting and never bending over (raises intracranial pressure and gives me headaches, which is another story).

One light trigger I can't figure out a way to fix is the light flickering through trees when I drive. The strobe light tests don't effect me, but occasionally the light flashing through trees does. I have no idea why there's a difference. Sunglasses don't help. SOME florescent systems also bother me, but not all. I can't figure that out, either.

 

[QueenieKP]

I don't know how the American system works but would this be an issue for occupational health and or a risk assessment by the employer as its effecting your health. Make it their problem and see how they can work with you to fix it as constantly wearing sun glasses probably has issues in itself with eye strain?

Q

 

[knothing]

A company is supposed to accommodate persons 'within reason'. That phrase is very vague and leaves too much room for interpretation. The worst part is there is huge learning curve and so much that needs to be understood.
Option 1 - Move to a new cube. - I went there and sat for 15 minutes. Thankfully the headache kicked in because it is a terrible location. Sounds bad to say that but it is a noisy area.
Option 2 - Remove some bulbs. Downside is our area is new and is going to be toured by execs and the appearance is everything. Not sure if they can take enough out without making it hard on others to see.
Option 3 - Buy new bulbs that are more like natural light. The cost involved and the fact that I still don't know if it works will more than likely stop that one. (cost mainly)
Option 4 - Lighting covers instead of open cages. It is not the look that the company wants so the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or one.
Option 5 - I work from home. This is very undesirable by all sides because I get disconnected from people and cannot interact effectively.
Option 6 - Another place in the company but that is only short term because within the next 12 months the entire place will be like this.
Option 7 - Sunglasses. not an option because like your last line QueenieKP the eye strain. It is already getting to me and earlier in the day everyday.

At least I have thought it out but get the feeling my time here is going to be cut short.