The Correlation Between Lighting Intensity, Eye Fatigue, Occupational Stress, and Sleep Quality in the Control Room Operators of Abadan Refinery

Background: The control room is a critical work environment where optimal performance is essential to minimize errors. Lighting is one of the key environmental factors influencing the performance of control room operators. Inadequate sleep quality and job stress also significantly impact job performance. Poor sleep quality, eye fatigue, inappropriate lighting, and occupational stress can lead to errors and decreased accuracy in work. Objectives: The present study aims to determine the correlation between lighting intensity, eye fatigue, occupational stress, and sleep quality among control room operators at the Abadan Refinery. The study was conducted in 2022. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 190 control room operators at the Abadan Refinery in 2022. A lux meter device was used to evaluate the intensity of lighting. Standard Pittsburgh sleep quality, eye fatigue, and Occupational Stress questionnaires were also administered. The results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The average light intensity of the work surface was 347.95 ± 147.34 lux. The mean and standard deviation of job stress score and sleep quality were 155.42 ± 9.18 and 9.38 ± 1.62, respectively. The average eye fatigue score was 5.09 ± 0.821 in people without glasses and 4.47 ± 0.828 in people with glasses. A significant correlation was found between brightness intensity and visual fatigue (ρ = 0.201, P = 0.029). The correlation between eye fatigue and sleep quality score was also significant (ρ = 0.225, P = 0.002). However, no significant correlation was observed between lighting intensity and sleep quality (ρ = - 0.005, P = 0.946). The correlation between the overall score of occupational stress and sleep quality was statistically significant (r = - 0.148, P = 0.042). Conclusions: The results showed a significant correlation between lighting intensity and the factors of sleep quality and eye fatigue. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between eye fatigue and sleep quality, as well as between occupational stress and sleep quality. Therefore, it is suggested that planning to minimize job stress, and improve lighting and sleep quality for gas refinery control room personnel should be designed and implemented by the authorities.