The effect of glare on eye movements when reading

Glimne, Susanne; Brautaset, Rune; Seimyr, Gustaf Öqvist

doi:10.3233/wor-131799

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…The operators' visual system is under high strain [46] since the screens are flat. When glare is present or visibility is reduced, an increase of visual demands occurs [47], and the intensity of muscle blood flow in trapezius increases [48] leading to an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders.…”

Section: Discussion Of Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual fatigue during control room work in process industries

Glimne

Brautaset

Österman

2020

WOR

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BACKGROUND: Working in front of computer screens is visually demanding and related to adverse eye symptoms. Occurrence of glare further increases visual fatigue. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents results from an examination of visual ergonomics in control room environments at two Swedish process industries. METHODS: Visual conditions were examined and evaluated in nine control rooms and eighteen process operators answered questions about their perceived workload and visual experiences. RESULTS: When working in the control rooms, the mental workload was rated significantly higher by the participants, compared to experienced performance. The operators further experienced significantly higher visual fatigue and blurred vision compared to double vision and sore eyes. Visual demands were increased in conditions where contrast glare was present, as well as frequent changes of focusing distances, and low contrast between background and characters in computer screens. CONCLUSIONS: Suboptimal visual working conditions in the control rooms contributes to increased visual demands on the operators. Presence of glare is leading to visual fatigue and an unnecessary high mental load. The findings support the relevance of considering principles of general and visual ergonomics when designing and organizing work in control rooms. Workstation design should also be flexible to allow for individual and contextual adjustments.

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Section: Discussion Of Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual fatigue during control room work in process industries

Glimne

Brautaset

Österman

2020

WOR

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“…High visual demands and increased load on intra-and extraocular muscles, such as stress on the accommodative-convergence system, are assumed to be involved in the development of eye symptoms (Bruenech and Kjellevold Haugen 2007;Sheedy et al 2003a;Zetterberg et al 2017). Regarding glare conditions, glare exposure have been reported to put extra load on the visual system by affecting accommodation (Shahnavaz and Hedman 1984;Wolska and Switula 1999), the binocular coordination (Glimne et al 2013), eye movements (Glimne et al 2015;Lin et al 2015), and the iris muscle's regulation of pupil size (Fry and King 1975;Hopkinson 1956). Therefore, intra and extraocular muscle strain may also be involved in the glare-induced eyestrain and discomfort observed here.…”

Section: Main Effects Of Visual and Psychological Stress Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, glare exposure has been reported to result in increased orbicularis oculi muscle activity and decreased aperture size (eyelid squinting), decreased pupil size, increased trapezius blood flow, altered eye movements, decreased reading performance, and reduced productivity (Berman et al 1994;Glimne et al 2015;Glimne et al 2013;Gowrisankaran et al 2007;Hemphälä and Eklund 2012;Lin et al 2015;Mork et al 2016;Mork et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discomfort glare and psychological stress during computer work: subjective responses and associations between neck pain and trapezius muscle blood flow

Mork

Falkenberg

Fostervold

et al. 2019

Int Arch Occup Environ Health

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Exposure to additional environmental stress during computer work, such as visual and psychological demands, is associated with increased eye and neck discomfort, altered moods, and reduced well-being. The aim of this study is to elucidate further how subjective responses in healthy, young females with normal binocular vision are affected by glare and psychological stress during computer work, and to investigate possible associations between trapezius muscle blood flow and neck pain development. Methods Forty-three females participated in a laboratory experiment with a within-subject design. Four ten-minute computer work conditions with exposure to different stressors were performed at an ergonomically optimal workstation, under the following series of conditions: no additional stress, visual stress (induced as direct glare from a large glare source), psychological stress, and combined visual and psychological stress. Before and immediately after each computer work condition, questionnaires regarding different visual and eye symptoms, neck and shoulder symptoms, positive and negative state moods, perceived task difficulty, and perceived ambient lighting were completed. Associations between neck pain and trapezius muscle blood flow were also investigated. Results Exposure to direct glare induced greater development of visual/eye symptoms and discomfort, while psychological stress exposure made participants feel more negative and stressed. The perception of work lighting during glare exposure was closely related to perceived stress, and associations between visual discomfort and eyestrain, and neck pain were observed in all conditions. Furthermore, participants with high trapezius muscle blood flow overall reported more neck pain, independent of exposure. Conclusions Exposure to visual and psychological stresses during computer work affects the development of symptoms and negative moods in healthy, young females with normal binocular vision, but in different ways. The results also demonstrate the complex interactions involved in symptom development and lighting appraisal during computer work. When optimizing computer workstations, the complexity of the field must be taken into account, and several factors, including visual conditions, must be considered carefully.

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“…Previous studies have found that glare affects people with normal binocular vision and contributes to decreased productivity [18], increased blood flow in the trapezius muscle [19], and an increased blink rate [6]. There are several human adaptations or counteracting behaviors, including eyelid squinting, blinking, and changing postures, to reduce the negative effects of glare [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Lighting Problems on Eye Symptoms among Cleanroom Microscope Workers

Lin

Chen

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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The visual health of microscope workers is an important occupational health concern, and a previous study suggested an association between lighting problems (e.g., flashing light, insufficient lighting) and eye symptoms among cleanroom workers in the electronics industry. This study aimed to explore the association between eye symptoms and lighting problems, as well as light-related counteracting behaviors among microscope workers in the cleanroom environment. Ninety-one cleanroom workers aged 20 years or older were recruited from an electronics factory. The socio-demographic factors, work-related factors, eye symptoms, and lighting problems were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. There were 92.3% female participants in this study. Among all participants, 41.8% and 63.7% had symptoms of dry eye and eye fatigue, respectively. The counteracting behaviors of needing to move closer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.47, 95% CI = 1.11 to 10.88) was significantly associated with dry eye symptoms. Workers who were more experienced at the job (aOR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.06) and had shorter break times (aOR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91 to 0.98) were more likely to have eye fatigue. As a result of these findings, this study suggests that good lighting and adequate break times are crucial to improve the visual health of cleanroom microscope workers.

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The effect of glare on eye movements when reading

Cited by 18 publications

References 65 publications

Visual fatigue during control room work in process industries

Visual fatigue during control room work in process industries

Discomfort glare and psychological stress during computer work: subjective responses and associations between neck pain and trapezius muscle blood flow

The Effects of Lighting Problems on Eye Symptoms among Cleanroom Microscope Workers

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