Inställningar av cookies

Välj dina inställningar och spara eller läs mer om cookies.

Nödvändiga cookies

Bidrar till att vår webbplats ska fungera som den ska för dig som besökare. De går därför inte att stänga av.

Funktionella cookies

Används för att ge dig som besökare en bra upplevelse, till exempel komma ihåg vilka dokument du har i en dokumentsamling.

Analytiska cookies

Hjälper oss bland annat med att få fram statistik och besöksmönster som gör att vi kan förbättra våra tjänster baserat på hur du använder dem.

Vi använder cookies För att ge dig den bästa möjliga upplevelsen av vår webbplats använder vi cookies. Läs mer om cookies på Fagerhult.
Fagerhult Innovator
  • Categories

  • Case studies
  • Product
  • Trends
  • Knowledge
  • Portraits
  • Sustainability
  • Insights

Visit fagerhult.com

Work-welfare and safety in smart lighting

- lighting for underground spaces

Working in an underground environment is a great challenge both physically and mentally – and even biologically. The constant lack of daylight, and connection to the world, during work hours may cause disorders in the innate biological clock. Hear Henrika Pihlajaniemi, M.Sc. (Arch), D.Sc. (Tech) University of Oulu, describing the attempt to mimic daylight 1 400 meters underground – and the results they found in their study.

text Maria Vårenius photo Henrika Pihlajaniemi, Pyhäsalmi Mine Oy, Mia Pujol, Aini Pihlajaniemi
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter E-mail

Growing activity
Mining is an ancient work, and dates back more than 20 000 years ago. The heavy work of mining is historically associated with long hours, harsh climate and risky work conditions. But the modern mining of the 21st century is rather an engineer dense workplace with high safety standards. Underground, visibility is obviously crucial and sometimes challenging, and lighting is a crucial tool in that work.

Today there is a growing tendency for mining activity around the world, since numerous industries worldwide depend on the supply of minerals and material from underground. The average life span of a site depends on the material being mined and it can be as short as 15-20 years. Therefore, there is a need to find new use for the large underground spaces no longer in use.

Workplace environments

As with all workplaces, the mine needs to be a safe and secure workspace. Research has stated that there is a clear connection between the physical work environment and occupational stress. Studies has also suggested that workplaces with visual access to nature increases the job satisfaction and overall subjective well-being among the employees. Therefore, working in underground spaces with a lack of daylight and connection to the outside world, might impose the biological clock of workers and have many negative physiological and psychological effects.

With this at hand, Henrika Pihlajaniemi and her colleagues at University of Oulu, carried out a study to develop lighting design strategies for underground environments, that supports occupational well-being. This was done in Pyhäsalmi mine, Finland, which is the deepest underground location of Europe, almost 1,5 km deep. Pyhäsalmi is closing its mine operations in the beginning of 2022 and is therefore open for other uses.

– This is a common dilemma in the mine industry worldwide, explains Henrika Pihlajaniemi. When the mining ends there are big spaces available with great infrastructure that could be used, but for what? In Pyhäsalmi they have tested different new operations for the mine. Since the temperature and humidity is ideal for growing, it would be a terrific farming site, both for crops and/or cricket-farming (edible insects). Since it is a really secure and enclosed space, it is also perfect for research with a great testing environment. It can also be a good place for space training simulation, since it is as disconnected from the outside world as in space.

scenario_mine_finland.jpg

Lighting up the underground

But, no matter the usage of the underground space – the conditions need to be healthy, safe and secure for the people working there.
– That is why we started out this study, Henrika Pihlajaniemi explains. A lighting design that supports well-being is not only for the mining environment. We did these experiments for the future, bearing in mind that the underground spaces might be in new use for other projects, with people working there in a new way.

In the study, a lighting refurbishment of two central areas in the mine was carried out – the personnel restaurant (Retka) and the underground laboratory (Lab 2). Both spaces located on the main level of the mine: Retka at a depth of 1410 metres, and Lab 2 at 1430 metres. To be able to come to these locations, the mine workers needed to travel in semi-dark tunnels, mainly unlit and partly lit up by older light sources. The influences on the new lighting on the participants wereas measured in the real-world piloting, combined with qualitative semi-structured interviews with the mine workers.

– The participants also wore a wristbands and electrocardiographic devices which allowed us to measure biological parameters, says Henrika Pihlajaniemi. We also did interviews in two phases. One test period of 8 weeks, was in the darkest period of the year, and the other test period was in the lightest period of the year. We tested the different dynamic lighting scenarios, explained in the paper, that we designed together with Fagerhult Oy and then evaluated them with the participants.

Map of mine_1.jpg

Smart light for smart work

The lighting design in the spaces was designed in an automated circuit, adapted after the two working shifts (morning and evening). During the two eight-week periods, the participants could not manually change the light settings, except putting on the presentation mode when needed. In the summer period it is never totally dark during the day, only twilight, and in the winter period, there are only a couple of hours of light during mid-day.

During the winter, the mine workers did not experience daylight at all during the day, since it was dark both when they went down and came up from the mine. And in the summer, the situation was the opposite – they saw daylight both when they went down and came up.

– What we found out, while testing in two different periods of the year, was that they really felt the circadian lighting in a different way, Henrika Pihlajaniemi explains. When they came down in the winter mornings, they experienced the office space with normal standard office lighting as too lit. But in the summer evaluation they did not experience it like that, because they had felt the sunlight before going down. So, even though we are designing lighting for underground location you need to take into account the yearly rhythm of daylight as well. Especially during the winter time, they preferred the dynamic scenario where the lighting was dimmer and warmer in the morning, and then slowly increased. In my opinion, you should not break the balance between darkness and light. I believe, that it is the most beneficial for us humans to feel the whole circle, to be in balance with the extremes.

Henrika_quote.jpg
"The human relationship with daylight is truly innate and natural. We need the sun to grow and feel well." Henrika Pihlajaniemi, D.Sc. (tech), M.Sc. (arch) Architect SAFA, Lighting designer M3 Architects

How can we use this in the future?

The case study in Pyhäsalmi mine showed that lighting design for underground environments is a complex design job, where you must work holistically and embrace contextual factors as well. The study included the physiological, psychological and biological perspective of lighting, in this enclosed environment with special conditions and needs.

From a physiological perspective, the lighting should support visual performance and maintain visual comfort. From a psychological perspective the sense of space and atmosphere are important, since they relate to the feeling of security and safety. And, from the biological perspective, the circadian lighting, was a great tool for supporting the worker’s rightly timed sleep/wake pattern and alertness, and sense of time.

– Many of the results are applicable to other underground, or enclosed, locations, Henrika Pihlajaniemi states. The study proposes a holistic design framework for lighting, that supports occupational well-being in these special environments. All in all, the participants experienced the circadian light rhythm as a pleasant thing that was helping them. They especially appreciated the ambient wall lighting, which made the contrasts and orientation in the room more vivid and enhanced and created atmosphere. That is important to bear in mind when designing light for other spaces without connection to daylight.

More fact and information

The research in Pyhäsalmi mine was part of Occupational Well-Being and Safety with Intelligent Lighting project, which was funded by The Finnish Work Environment Fund, the University of Oulu, and Fagerhult.

Here you find a short film on the Pyhäsalmi mine, and its operations. 

If you wish to read the full paper of Henrika Pihlajaniemi, you can find it here.  

 

If you wish to learn more on underground lighting, you can visit the 

BSUIN (Baltic Sea Underground Innovation Network) projects web.

 

Find inspiration

  • All
  • Case studies
  • Product
  • Trends
  • Knowledge
  • Portraits
  • Sustainability
  • Insights

Lighting insights - from the land of the midnight sun

Travelling Sweden in summertime is a crash course in lighting theory. Watching the sun dipping her toes in a deep blue lake, before she reluctantly se ...

From the grave to the cradle - full circle for a luminaire

The concept of refurbishing and/or rebuilding old luminaires in order to save material and energy is a field that is rapidly growing. And sometimes, w ...

The future is handmade

Art and culture are excellent ways to turn given concepts upside down, and create new approaches and solutions. One avant-gardist, who does not fear n ...

Work-welfare and safety in smart lighting - lighting for underground spaces

Working in an underground environment is a great challenge both physically and mentally – and even biologically. The constant lack of daylight, and co ...

Redefining the workplace - a visionary outlook on the office from Kinnarps

Interior design company Kinnarps originated as a family owned business (and still is to this day) from Sweden - and is now a synonym internationally f ...

Keep up with standards

This autumn 2021 a revised version of EN 12464-1 is published, which sets requirements for Lighting of indoor work places. We met with Tommy Govén, Se ...

What is the purpose of the office?

To have or not to have, a physical office space – might be the question many companies ask themselves these days. Our flexible and digital way of work ...

The waste is the win - making your carbon footprint tip-toe

Sustainability and environmental awareness are (thankfully) on everyone’s agenda these days. And for real change to happen, we all need to make new ch ...

Agitated, anxious and alone - living with dementia

Imagine not being able to recognise your own children. Not knowing where you live, where you are going or even how old you are. For many people suffer ...

In the club - I have a feeling I belong here

Building a community is not a quick win. So, why do for-profit brands invest time and money in this activity? In short, creating a community connected ...

Lighting First Aid for the TikTok-generation

When lighting expert Shelley James realized how lockdown affects the wellbeing of kids and teenagers, she was shocked. Now she is joining forces with ...

Feel the brand

When we finally emerge from our homes, after months of shopping from the couch, we will most likely look for brick-and-mortar experiences that gives u ...

Effects of working from home during Covid -19 - Physical problems, pain and posture

More people are working from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While avoiding the office and staying socially distant is crucial to stopping the spread ...

Changing habits - Nudging our way to a more sustainable future

For some time now, it has been clear that us humans need to change the way we act and live to a more sustainable way. But change can be hard. Lucky fo ...

There is a light that never goes out

The innate longing and love for light is something universal for mankind. But how do you cope with an everyday life where the access to electrical lig ...

Recover better - UN-iting businesses for a better world

In a time of global disruption, ambitious climate action is as urgent as ever. The United Nations has therefore worked continuously to unite business ...

Double Dynamic Lighting - combining two worlds

Double Dynamic Lighting (DDL) is a lighting design concept for dynamic indoor lighting. In short, you adjust the electrical lighting in real time so t ...

Kitchen Ghosts: Cooking delicious cinemagraphs

Kitchen Ghosts is a duo that has taken the foodie culture to a higher level. By focusing on displaying homemade food and its handcraft in a tasteful w ...

A changing world USA, China and Russia

A decade after the United Nations declared that a tipping point had been reached and more than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas, c ...

A life of colour and light

Liz West is a UK-based light artist with an immense passion for colour, playfulness and light. She is renowned for her innovative artworks that explor ...

HNoMS Maud - a full scale hospital at sea

HNoMS Maud, the Royal Norwegian Navy’s new logistics and support vessel, has arrived to its new homeport of Haakonsvern navy base. She was built on be ...

Setting the biological clock - the use of light in Health and Care

Even though we consider ourselves modern people, our brains are really not that up to date. We are still biological creatures, affected by the shifts ...

Saved by the light How lighting can prevent unwanted behavior

The expanding capabilities with LED's are well suited to the shifting urban landscape. Creative outdoor lighting can change, and prevent, unwanted beh ...

The beauty is in the brain of the beholder

Advances in neuroimaging allows us to have a more indepth understanding of how our brain processes impressions. We now know more of how the brain perc ...

Recipes for creative patterns

A rotating tube light and a postmodern spotlight – both a part of the architectural universe created by Design Campus for an upcoming project in Londo ...

John V. Muntean - a story of light, art, truth and science

Can you trust your eyes? Or is the object in front of you open to multiple interpretations? Chicago-based scientist and artist John V. Muntean uses li ...

Lifelong learning - a journey throughout life

Lifelong learning concerns every individual’s opportunity – and responsibility – to continue developing and learning new things throughout life. Howev ...

A democratic learning environment - creating spaces for equality and possibilities

A well-planned learning environment increases the pupil's possibilities to take part of the education. Malin Valsö, registered psychologist and autho ...

75 years of light

Fagerhults Belysning is the story of a man who saw the world in a bright new light. Who spotted opportunities in technological advancements and in the ...

Holding it together

In a time when ingrained behaviours and patterns are being questioned, alternatives are needed. Something, or someone, that puts the focus on things o ...

Danborg & Kundla The researcher’s guideline to human-centric library lighting

How can lighting be used to create different activity zones that meet the visitors’ needs and enhances the experience in the library? In a new master’ ...

Lighting up the darkness Bringing light to places of grief

The cemetery is a place for meetings and farewells, a place associated with a range of emotions and moods. How can you, in a good way, turn a place th ...

Back to basics! How to put human centric lighting into practice

Do you have neck and shoulder pain? It could be caused by bad lighting. Up to 40 percent of the population is sensitive for visual stimuli like glare ...

Reducing energy consumption - the transformation from "mechanics" to electronics

At Fagerhult we have developed, manufactured and offered lighting solutions for 75 years. At the time our company was founded, only one type of light ...

To serve and inspire - making the store the USP

Today, e-commerce is booming through the roof and a lot of brick-and-mortar stores struggle with the competition. In times like these, it could be tha ...

Sim Sala BIM! The revolution of the construction process

The construction and real estate market is undergoing a major change where digitization plays the leading role. The magic is spelled BIM – Building In ...

Storytelling with BIM - White Architects share their view

Soon enough, lighting designs will be integrated directly into BIM models with the help of game technology. Christoffer Sundberg, farsighted BIM-strat ...

Bringin the right light to the stage

Lighting designer and Director Alexander Hesse, is currently travelling the world with Swedish House Mafias come back tour. Here we learn his thoughts ...

Don't fear the robots.

The reporting of digitalization and automatization in the media, can sometimes seem dark and pessimistic. Instead of focusing on all the possibilities ...

Material girl. Designer Emma Olbers encourages to material awareness.

Emma Olbers is one of the pioneers in sustainable design. By being consistent in their choice of materials and production, she helps customers and con ...

Going to the movies

In the quest to quantify the emotional part of human centric lighting solutions we need to involve the end users. But advanced lighting professional l ...

Lighting controls How to increase lighting quality and lower energy consumption.

Yes! You can eat the cake and have it too… New research from the IT University in Copenhagen suggests that investing in high quality lighting can actu ...

Behavioral design Psychology that changes thoughts, feelings and actions

What do the toilets at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol have in common with pendant light fittings in Danish primary schools? Both are design initiatives in ...

Enhance your environment The lighting advisors guide to inspiring environments

Investing in exterior lighting designs is an effective way to increase the value and attractiveness of a property. ”Innovative and energy efficient t ...

The office of the future

Over the past few decades we have seen office trends come and go. What are the current trends, and what might the office of the future actually look l ...

Focus on the human centric lighting

Light is well-being, but it can also be terror. Human centric lighting is, and should not, just be about increasing people’s performance. ”Smart ligh ...

Prep Work The showroom that makes room for the senses

How do you construct a friendly, healthy, and high-performance workspace? A space where conditions are sustainable for the employees and environment a ...

Primary light forms - Bespoke lighting for Fotografiska London

Opening mid 2019, Fotografiska London will be one of the largest museums in the world dedicated to photography. A postmodern architectural universe cr ...

Details that make a difference

”It is so easy to get caught up in the big words. I prefer the smaller ones. With many small changes you can make a huge difference. It takes knowledg ...

Ageless but not sharp-eyed How do we meet the increased lighting needs of an aging population?

We are getting older. Probably wiser. But as the human eye is aging, our needs for light increase dramatically. ”We are talking about raising the reti ...

Back to the future An innovation from the 1990s helped Fagerhult solve the LED equation

All the efficiency and all the visual comfort. How do you solve the light industries trickiest equation? The clues were in the past and the classic r5 ...

How to make money on sustainability. It’s common sense!

Corporate social responsibility isn’t just a buzzword anymore. Big or small, retailer or supplier, every company needs to be accountable for its actio ...

Fresh foodie technology There are 2 000 chefs lined up in your kitchen!

After spending hours – and probably a small fortune – searching for the right ingredients, there’s no excuse for bad cooking. So what to do when the r ...

Convergence: Restaurant Tying the knot. Noma in cross over collaboration with Club Monaco

What is your industry? Retail? Restaurant? Interior Design, Hospitality or Entertainment? And does it really matter? In The Convergence Economy brands ...

Breakthrough in gerontology?

What if lighting could help the elderly to a happier and healthier life? Actually, it can! A new research project at Lund University indicates that d ...

Copenhagen Connected Lighting infrastructure and smart city solutions

Copenhagen brings connectivity to a new level. In the project Copenhagen Connecting the streetlights play a key role in the infrastructure for the new ...

Hästens: A feeling of home

The luxury bed company Hästens new shop concept is based on recreating a feeling of home where you can sit down, have a coffee, read a book or even fa ...

Innovations for better light

Over the last 70 years within the lighting industry various new findings have come our way and we have embraced the change. When we started 1945 there ...

Fabulous Fabian – an icon reincarnated

Fabian is a subtle retro fixture, deeply connected with our innovative heritage. When launched in 1969 Fabian was Sweden’s – maybe even the worlds – e ...

Creating the world’s best conference room Communicator on a crusade

After experiencing hundreds of badly planned conference facilities, communication expert David Phillips is taking things into his own hands. In the be ...

Skywalker − our brightest shining star

The 2018 Red Dot Award Winner Skywalker gives a brand new perspective on office space lighting. With a touch of magic, the design team from Above and ...

Proof of the pudding

Throughout the world, innovative designers and employers applying the Well Building Standard to create workplaces that are healthy for body and mind. ...

Light prophecy A journey into the future of 2025

We are only one year away from when Ridley Scotts adaptation of the Novel “Do androids dream of electric sheep”, more commonly known as Bladerunner, i ...

The Lobby - a new retail concept

The increasing online shopping trend within retail has made an impact in all traditional stores. Customers today are placing their order with a click ...

Lighting design cowboys aiming for change

It is all about people, not the places. Swedish lighting designers Olsson & Linder are forerunners in Social Lighting, challenging politicians, offici ...

Still a toddler, The MSC Lighting Design Programme at Danish Aalborg University, is considered one of the best in the world. In 2017 the programme was ...

70 years of lighting knowledge

Fagerhult is the story of a man who saw the world with new eyes. Who spotted opportunities in technological advancements and in the world around him. ...

Food experiences with Tongue Twister

Have you ever thought about how complex food is? We used to say that we eat with our eyes, but are there several key factors to finding stunning flavo ...

Food trends Lifestyle choices and their effects on food industry

Strong is the new skinny, LCHP instead of LCHF, dieting with Instagram and slow food instead of fast food. How will these trends effect the food indus ...

Studio Streck create concepts - No magic, just hard work

When the interior designers at Studio Streck create a shop concept it is always based on the customer’s brand and perspective. This is something they ...

The many lives of Dino

Is it a cat? Or is it a chameleon? Architects Lars Pettersson and Morgan Rudberg are the masterminds behind Dino – the luminaire with a versatile char ...

Booster Pro Lighting for a premium shop experience

In the Stockholm based Mall of Scandinavia (the largest shopping centre in Scandinavia) the Norwegian cosmetic company Booster Pro opened a shop with ...

The Dandy Lab: Exploring the future of retail

Smart cities, smart homes and now – smart shops. Hyped London pop-up store The Dandy Lab explores the Internet of Things in a physical retail environm ...

The glittering light of Nordic summer

Devina Solglitter is a creative collaboration between Fagerhult and Orrefors Glasswork. ”I wanted to reflect the glittering light that captures the s ...

History of the lantern

The design of outdoor lighting has always been determined by the shape of the light source. Not anymore. In co-operation with groundbreaking lighting ...

Exploring in adaptable light Little Explorers at Marina Mall in Dubai

Lego is one of the most popular children’s toys in the world. No wonder that, alongside Little Explorers, Majid Al Futtaim Holding have based a seriou ...

Islands of Light pendant lighting versus office distractions

A study into the use of pendant lighting at a school in Denmark could have lessons for increasing productivity and reducing stress in the workplace. ...

The electric Advent candelabra – A Swedish lighting phenomenon

No, it is not the Northern Lights but it is still a phenomenon. The electric Advent candelabra are a Swedish lighting tradition that cannot be experie ...

Storytelling in a Virtual Reality 

The consumer won’t buy what you are doing. They buy why you are doing it. Virtual Reality is the new, intriguing way to tell that story. ”It’s so real ...

Light – the soul of Electronic Dance Music

With his Cloud Nine-tour, artist and producer Kygo has taken musical entertainment to a new level. The creative force behind Kygo’s spectacular light ...

Connecting through fibre and thread

Conventional woven handcraft meets modern lighting in Malin Bobeck’s art pieces. As a Textile designer and artist she creates using optical fibre text ...

Pendant Gallery

Design is a universal language without end, within the form of expression there is something that speaks to all of us. The time when the options were ...

Play with Notor

Defined by a minimalist style that houses so many possibilities, Notor’s flexibility has helped keep it relevant for over 15 years. The technology has ...

Putting the wheels in motion

A total of 188 Evolume pole luminaires have been equipped with e-Sense Motion in a breakthrough project undertaken in conjunction with the Swedish Tra ...

The science of shopping

There are several visual techniques used in a shop to dictate which products are discovered and how they are interpreted. We might believe we have ful ...

Involving all senses in retail

An ideal store environment is one that engages our senses. When working with light, we are constantly developing lit experiences focusing on the visua ...

Industrial Chic

Industrial chic, and rugged pendant lighting in particular, has been a part of the interior designer’s palette for longer than many of us might imagin ...

Expressing and enhancing the qualities of the surrounding

Architectonical lighting, outdoor lighting, exhibitions, discos, shows, operas… Oscar Nyström has done it all. From luxury hotel resorts to super yach ...

No compromise – The Blue Planet

The Blue Planet is the largest aquarium in northern Europe, with more than 20 000 animals living in 7 million litres of water. From the outside, it’s ...

The revitalization of outdoor lighting control

With advanced lighting control, energy consumption in urban areas can be reduced by 40% – without affecting people’s perceived safety and visual comfo ...

How to make money on sustainability It’s common sense!

Corporate social responsibility isn’t just a buzzword anymore. Big or small, retailer or supplier, every company needs to be accountable for its actio ...

Making an entrance

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Lighting is the ”red carpet” of the hospitality industry and one of the most effective ways ...

Vialume – designing good light

It’s very easy to understand why one wants to make some effort in the design of an pendant interior luminaire, just like you make an effort with the r ...

Branding interiors

In 1954, Coca-Cola’s advertising slogan was “For people on the go”. Sixty years later the same phrase embodies the design of the company’s new Europea ...

Repair shops – a new retail category?

Behind that rough and eye-catching shop concept there is an underlying sustainable mind-set for every choice and decision, from walls to the type of f ...

Catching fire

The "Spira Lamp” is a piece of art. It is the vision of designer and artist Ingegerd Råman, realised by Fagerhult in collaboration with skilled partne ...

Labelling the light The six emotions of lighting design

Communication is vital when creating innovative and functional lighting design. When things go wrong it is normally caused by misunderstandings. ...

Ageless but not sharp-eyed. How do we meet the increased lighting needs of an aging population?

Fagerhult

Innovator is a celebration of the wonderful world of light, drawing inspiration from the latest trends, insights inspiring projects and, most importantly, the people that make it all happen.

Head Office. Fagerhults Belysning AB. SE-566 80 Habo. Sweden +46 36 10 85 00.
Copyright © 2017 AB Fagerhult. All rights reserved.

chevron-down chevron-right facebook linkedin medium mynewsdesk twitter vimeo youtube