News / What is flicker?

How to be confident that flicker levels don’t exceed the harmful limit

The first thing to know about flicker is that the rapid, repeated changes in light intensity are not always perceptible to the human eye. In fact, it is quite possible to be subjected to the effects of flicker without even knowing it’s there, this is referred to as the stroboscopic effect. Together with the visible effects of flicker, they are known as temporal lighting artefacts (TLAs).

Flicker can be detrimental to the users of a space as it can cause eye strain, fatigue, loss of concentration and in more serious cases photosensitive epilepsy. It can also pose a safety threat where machinery is in use. It is therefore important that when specifying lighting the amount of flicker is taken into consideration and the luminaires are appropriately tested to ensure they are suitable for the application.

By working with Gamma you can be confident that our luminaires have been designed to incorporate high quality drivers and they are tested to ensure they avoid TLAs and perform as expected and required. It is through our constant testing processes that we are able to launch flicker-free luminaires and prevent the harmful effects associated with flicker. Click on the link below to see how we helped the University of Bradford avoid an expensive mistake and the detrimental health effects associated with flicker.