Lighting conditions in beauty centers in the municipality of Envigado, Colombia, year 2025

Authors

Keywords:

lighting, working conditions, beauty and aesthetic centers, occupational risk prevention

Abstract

The beauty and aesthetics sector has experienced significant growth in Colombia due to strong social demand for personal care services. However, workers in this sector face critical challenges in terms of occupational safety and health (OSH), characterized by prolonged exposure to physical risk factors, high levels of informal employment, and a marked lack of preventive measures or risk awareness, which poses a direct threat to their health and overall well-being. Objective. To comprehensively assess the physical risk of lighting in beauty centers in the municipality of Envigado, Colombia, in order to propose corrective measures to improve working environments. Methods. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in the municipality of Envigado. The methodology included the use of validated instruments such as the Colombian Technical Guide (GTC 45) for hazard identification, and specific occupational hygiene methodologies such as RETILAP and NTC 1801 for lighting. Precision equipment such as lux meters was used. Results. Poor and uneven lighting was identified, with levels ranging from 126 LUX to 1,560 LUX, failing to meet the recommended standard of 500 LUX in multiple technical areas. Conclusions. The study shows high occupational vulnerability among workers in the beauty sector in Envigado, resulting from environmental conditions with low control.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Greiss Lizeth Sarmiento , Universidad de Antioquia

Profesora Facultad Nacional de Salud Publica Universidad de Antioquia

References

Organización Internacional del Trabajo. Capítulo 46. Iluminación. En: Enciclopedia de la seguridad y salud en el trabajo. Ginebra: Organización Internacional del Trabajo; s.f.

Organización Internacional del Trabajo. Iluminación. Ginebra: Organización Internacional del Trabajo; s.f. Disponible en:https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@travail/documents/instructionalmaterial/wcms_152506.pdf

Katabaro JM, Yan Y. Effects of lighting quality on working efficiency of workers in Tanzania. J Occup Health. 2019;61(5):371–379. Disponible en: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6877933/

Rosenfield M. Computer vision syndrome: a review of ocular causes and potential treatments. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics. 2011;31(5):502–515. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2011.00834.x

Juslén H., Tenner A. Mechanisms involved in enhancing human performance by changing the lighting in the industrial workplace. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2005;35(9):843–855. doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2005.03.002.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Evaluation of ergonomics, chemical exposures, and other workplace hazards at a nail salon. Cincinnati (OH): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2017. Disponible en: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2015-0139-3338.pdf

Begum TF, Wilson RT, Sarah L, Labrooy A, Porcaro EM, Ma GX. The nail salon workforce: a systematic scoping review of carcinogen exposure assessments, health outcome, and workforce intervention research. Rev Environ Health. 2025 Nov 10. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2025-0070. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41206212.

Schenk L, Rempel D, Briner WW, Läubli T. Musculoskeletal health, work-related risk factors and preventive measures in hairdressers. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2019;14:24.

Ministerio de Minas y Energía. Reglamento Técnico de Iluminación y Alumbrado Público (RETILAP): actualización 2024. Bogotá: Ministerio de Minas y Energía; 2024.

Ministerio de Minas y Energía. Resolución 40150 de 2024: Libro 3 - Instalaciones de Sistemas de Iluminación. Bogotá D.C.: Ministerio de Minas y Energía; 2024.

Cabeza MA, Cabeza ME. Evaluación de los riesgos por iluminación en los puestos de trabajo de oficinas PDVSA a través de un programa de computación. Saber. 2010;22(1):63-69.

Muñoz Paredes CC, Mariño Andrade HG. Evaluación del impacto de los niveles de iluminación en la salud ocupacional en las áreas de trabajo de Exportquil S.A. en Guayaquil, 2024. Religación: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades. 2025;10(47):e2501550.

Reyburn M. La iluminación adecuada como factor preventivo en la salud ocupacional. Journal of Occupational Health. 2019;47(1):23-35.

Instituto Sindical de Trabajo, Ambiente y Salud (ISTAS). Iluminación en los centros de trabajo. Madrid: ISTAS; 2019.

Lunn RM, Blask DE, Coogan AN, et al. Health consequences of electric lighting practices in the modern world: A report on the National Toxicology Program's workshop on shift work at night, artificial light at night, and circadian disruption. Sci Total Environ. 2017;607-608:1073-1084.

Nelson RJ, Chbeir S. Dark matters: effects of light at night on metabolism. Proc Nutr Soc. 2018;77(3):223-229.

Figueiro MG, Rea MS. Quantifying circadian light and its impact. J Am Inst Arch. 2017.

Rasouli Kahaki Z, Jahangiri H, Smith A, Kazemi R. Subjective and objective survey of office lighting: effects on alertness, comfort, satisfaction, and safety. La Medicina del Lavoro. 2022;113(3):e2022024.

Published

2026-05-28

How to Cite

1.
Gutiérrez Carmona D, Blanco Correa AM, Cano Cardona A, Sarmiento GL. Lighting conditions in beauty centers in the municipality of Envigado, Colombia, year 2025. rev cuban salud trabajo [Internet]. 2026 May 28 [cited 2026 May 31];27. Available from: https://revsaludtrabajo.sld.cu/index.php/revsyt/article/view/1056

Issue

Section

Original articles