Narrative:

This work related situation is also being reported as an unsatisfactory condition on ucr. Please keep in mind as you read this that I, and most others at washington ARTCC, have not had a 'formal' briefing as to the reasons for changing the working conditions I am going to describe here. Since we have been using our present pvd's (early 1970's) with non glare glass the lighting at washington ARTCC (ZDC) has been such that we could read any material needed to do our job -- overhead maps, approach plates, landline numbers, frequency charts, etc. However, that has changed! The lighting was 'normal' when I left work oct/xa/91. When I came to work oct/xd/91 (a bright sunny day), the control room was dark! 2 of the 3 rows of indirect lighting banks had been turned off. Only the 1 over the center isle of radar scopes is on and it is turned down to a min. The only other lighting is provided by the lights above the sectors. These lights now have to be turned up brighter so I can read my flight strips -- this is causing me to constantly shift my eyes from a darken area (around the scope) to a lighted area (strips). Eye strain and headaches result. Further, if I need to refer to overhead maps, I must turn on more lights causing more eye adjustment/strain. There are no lights at our briefing area. We must take the material over to a sector to be able to read. Upon returning to the control room from anywhere else in the building, it takes a good 5 mins for my eyes to adjust to the darkened conditions. Not real good if I'm needed in a hurry. The reason for the lighting change (as I hear it in the coffee shop) is to reduce noise and reduce system errors. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback to reporter revealed that the lights have been turned back up. Facility management stated that the reduction in lights was for a 30 day test caused by an increase in operations errors. After 28 days and numerous controller complaints, the lights were set at there previous setting. Supplemental information from acn 192477: the scopes are now too bright, there is eye strain, some of the handoff lines do not have backlighting and you cannot find the proper line quickly. The reasoning involved possible distrs in the control room with higher lighting. Lower lighting will not reduce system errors as someone thinks. This lower lighting is a distraction in itself, because it was such a radical change quickly. Management will not even consider raising it a little.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTL ROOM LIGHTING IS REDUCED BY FACILITY MGMNT IN AN EFFORT TO ELIMINATE DISTRS.

Narrative: THIS WORK RELATED SITUATION IS ALSO BEING RPTED AS AN UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION ON UCR. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND AS YOU READ THIS THAT I, AND MOST OTHERS AT WASHINGTON ARTCC, HAVE NOT HAD A 'FORMAL' BRIEFING AS TO THE REASONS FOR CHANGING THE WORKING CONDITIONS I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE HERE. SINCE WE HAVE BEEN USING OUR PRESENT PVD'S (EARLY 1970'S) WITH NON GLARE GLASS THE LIGHTING AT WASHINGTON ARTCC (ZDC) HAS BEEN SUCH THAT WE COULD READ ANY MATERIAL NEEDED TO DO OUR JOB -- OVERHEAD MAPS, APCH PLATES, LANDLINE NUMBERS, FREQ CHARTS, ETC. HOWEVER, THAT HAS CHANGED! THE LIGHTING WAS 'NORMAL' WHEN I LEFT WORK OCT/XA/91. WHEN I CAME TO WORK OCT/XD/91 (A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY), THE CTL ROOM WAS DARK! 2 OF THE 3 ROWS OF INDIRECT LIGHTING BANKS HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. ONLY THE 1 OVER THE CENTER ISLE OF RADAR SCOPES IS ON AND IT IS TURNED DOWN TO A MIN. THE ONLY OTHER LIGHTING IS PROVIDED BY THE LIGHTS ABOVE THE SECTORS. THESE LIGHTS NOW HAVE TO BE TURNED UP BRIGHTER SO I CAN READ MY FLT STRIPS -- THIS IS CAUSING ME TO CONSTANTLY SHIFT MY EYES FROM A DARKEN AREA (AROUND THE SCOPE) TO A LIGHTED AREA (STRIPS). EYE STRAIN AND HEADACHES RESULT. FURTHER, IF I NEED TO REFER TO OVERHEAD MAPS, I MUST TURN ON MORE LIGHTS CAUSING MORE EYE ADJUSTMENT/STRAIN. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS AT OUR BRIEFING AREA. WE MUST TAKE THE MATERIAL OVER TO A SECTOR TO BE ABLE TO READ. UPON RETURNING TO THE CTL ROOM FROM ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE BUILDING, IT TAKES A GOOD 5 MINS FOR MY EYES TO ADJUST TO THE DARKENED CONDITIONS. NOT REAL GOOD IF I'M NEEDED IN A HURRY. THE REASON FOR THE LIGHTING CHANGE (AS I HEAR IT IN THE COFFEE SHOP) IS TO REDUCE NOISE AND REDUCE SYS ERRORS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK TO RPTR REVEALED THAT THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN TURNED BACK UP. FACILITY MGMNT STATED THAT THE REDUCTION IN LIGHTS WAS FOR A 30 DAY TEST CAUSED BY AN INCREASE IN OPS ERRORS. AFTER 28 DAYS AND NUMEROUS CTLR COMPLAINTS, THE LIGHTS WERE SET AT THERE PREVIOUS SETTING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 192477: THE SCOPES ARE NOW TOO BRIGHT, THERE IS EYE STRAIN, SOME OF THE HDOF LINES DO NOT HAVE BACKLIGHTING AND YOU CANNOT FIND THE PROPER LINE QUICKLY. THE REASONING INVOLVED POSSIBLE DISTRS IN THE CTL ROOM WITH HIGHER LIGHTING. LOWER LIGHTING WILL NOT REDUCE SYS ERRORS AS SOMEONE THINKS. THIS LOWER LIGHTING IS A DISTR IN ITSELF, BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A RADICAL CHANGE QUICKLY. MGMNT WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER RAISING IT A LITTLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.