Mandatory protection
Using an appropriate protection against the sun rays is not only satisfying employees’ expectations. Ensuring proper working conditions at the workstation with a monitor belongs to the duties of the employer. According to the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy dated 1 December 1998 on health and safety at workplaces equipped with display screens “the position of the monitor against the source of light should limit the glare and reflections”. If it is impossible to set the screen this way, the suitable window blinds will certainly help to reduce the adverse light in the office.
Many people working on the computer believes that using window blind is necessary only if the sun rays reflect directly in the monitor. However, what has a major impact on the sight is the degree of brightness of the light in the office. Work on the computer accompanied quite often by the work with paper documents requires a constant sight adjustment to the observed surface. The supervisor should take care of an estimate level of illumination of the office space, so that the work doesn’t cause eye strain to the employees. It’s worth remembering that too intensive daylight may irritate the eyes. On the other hand, even the best artificial light can’t replace natural daylight. Then how can we regulate the amount of sunlight entering the office? Well-chosen window blinds may help to regulate the exposure of the office space.
Tailor-made solutions
When there is no doubt that window blinds are indispensable in the office, it’s time to choose the best variant. It’s not an easy task because a wide range of a wide range of curtains, blinds and verticals available on the market significantly impedes decision.
The choice of window blinds should depend most of all on the volume of the building. Its location, position of the individual rooms depending on the cardinal directions and individual requirements of the people working in the building should directly translate into the type of the blinds mounted.
In offices it is important for the product to be functional and practical – emphasizes Małgorzata Kędzierska, client advisor at OSA. While choosing the blinds you should pay attention to the regulation of light – simple lifting of the roller blinds or adjusting the position of the blinds with a knob. The degree to which we would like to darken the office is also important. Remember, that with the roller blinds we can just lift/roll it up and we are left with a fully exposed glass. With the blinds we can turn the fins and partially cover the window – she adds.
Another important issue is the choice of the way the blinds will be mounted. The advantage of internal blinds is the ease of adjustment. An employee may at any time come to the window and adjust the light level of the room to meet their requirements. In the case of external blinds such an action is more difficult and usually requires the use of an electric drive. The advantage of the outer window blinds is a significant limitation of the heat transmitted to the building. External venetian blinds and external roller shutters to a large extent retain the heat on the cover itself and thus reduces the possibility of absorbing additional heat by the furniture or interior walls of the office.
Manufacturers, to meet the growing expectations of customers, develop new solutions for the functionality of window blinds. Effective limiting of the temperature is now possible also in the case of internal variants: In office buildings you increasingly often find a special film pasted on the glass, which not only reflects the light, but also reduces the temperature in the room - says Małgorzata Kędzierska.
Making a virtue of necessity
To be sure that the selected window blinds are appropriate, they should meet several essential requirements. In addition to the previously mentioned limiting of the heat transfer into the room, the optimal blinds should allow even lighting of the office, minimize the need to use artificial lighting and give the possibility to vary the brightness of the light. A well-chosen roller blind or a blind should also allow for the simultaneous observation of the outside view and sheltering the inside of the office.
Good quality window blinds can also function as an additional protection of the building: External roller shutters, external venetian blinds as well as the films perform anti-burglary function - admits Margaret Kędzierska. Standard roller shutters are made of aluminum and anti-burglary roller shutters are made of stainless steel. Anti-burglar film is transparent and prevents shattering the glass into tiny shards.
Additionally, window blinds may perform a decorative role in the office. A wide range of materials and colours available on the market allow for matching blinds and roller blinds to the arrangement of the office or the building. What is more, some of the roller blinds may serve as an advertising space. An example of such a cover is photo-roller blinds, on which you can print, e.g. a company logo. OWV perforated films, on which you can place the company’s advertisement, are also frequently chosen – says Małgorzata Kędzierska.
Choosing the right window cover is an important decision. Installation of the covers is a considerable expense, sometimes exceeding several thousand zlotych, but the optimal variant of the cover will fully meet its functions and served over the years.