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Safety Concerns and Versatility of Gooseneck Desk Lamps

susanw | Jun 7, 2010 |

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There are quite a few different types of gooseneck desk lamps, ranging from the very humble and basic design student desk lamp to the classy brass antique style desk lamp. The one thing in common that all gooseneck lamps have is the flexibility of the neck of the lamp. These style of lamps are able to twist and turn and bend up and down very easily, which is a real plus for anyone working on detailed work that needs direct light shining on it, or for when you are reading in a dimmed room or working on computer but needing to refer to something on your desk. You can zoom the light right in on whatever it is that needs it.

It is even possible to purchase these lamps with two heads, so that you can have one head shining on one part of your desk, highlighting something you need to refer to, while the other light shines on your keyboard to highlight the keys you need to punch. Usually you should place them either to the right of the left of your work in a manner that does not cause any shadows to fall over your work. Some people like to place them directly behind their monitor and have the lamp shine directly out and over the monitor. This is great if you need general lighting to be able to see clearly what you are doing. It is even possible to purchase a clip on gooseneck desk lamp. It can be clipped onto overhead shelving, onto the side of the desk, or even directly onto some monitors. It is this very versatility that makes the flexible gooseneck lamp one of the most favored when it comes to lighting up a workspace.

You do need to be careful, however, if you purchase one of the cheaper lamps. Although all should be made with safety in mind you do need to make sure that the base is heavy enough to hold up the lamp no matter what angle the neck of the lamp is. For example, some lamps are perfectly stable when the shade is in a regular upright position, however when you bend the shade down and over to the desk as you would if you were trying to light a book or paper on the desk, some lamps can overbalance. Before you purchase a lamp bend it over and see how stable it remains. Another safety concern with any lamp really is that the bulb or the shade if made from metal can become very hot to the point that it can either burn you if you touch it, or melt something when in close proximity to it. To avoid this from happening, do not leave the lamp on when you are not in attendance, do not touch a metal shade with your bare hands and keep the head of the lamp away from material or equipment.

Following these simple safety rules should be enough to keep you from damaging yourself or your equipment.