The right lighting in workplaces
Proper lighting in the workplace is crucial not only for health and well-being but also for safety.
Does your workplace have the right lighting conditions? Our FAQ gives helpful tips regarding workplace lighting to ensure you do not fumble in the dark!
- What are the risks of incorrect lighting in the workplace?
- Who is responsible for lighting in the workplace?
- Is daylight sufficient?
- Which lighting levels need to be observed?
- What do I need to know about installing and maintaining lighting systems?
- What can I do to avoid glare?
- What to do in the case of power failure?
What are the risks of incorrect lighting in the workplace?
Inadequate lighting significantly increases the risk of accidents. In case of poor visibility, concentration and performance can also be reduced. Physical discomfort, such as burning eyes or headaches, not only affects well-being but also hurts the frequency of errors in the work process.
Caution: Lighting too bright can also lead to problems when unsuitable or misaligned lights blind employees.
Our infographic gives you a quick overview of the adverse effects of wrong lighting in the workplace:
Who is responsible for lighting in the workplace?
The employer is expected to set up workplaces so that there are no health hazards for the employees. This also includes adequate lighting for individual visual tasks.
Within the scope of a risk assessment, it is necessary to determine and regularly check whether the workstations are suitably lit during operation. This can be resolved with a corresponding measuring device (lux meter).
Is daylight sufficient?
Daylight increases well-being, but it is not always sufficiently available at the right time or place. An additional artificial lighting system is, therefore, usually required. In our online shop, you will find many lighting systems, including wall and ceiling, tube, emergency, and flashlights. Many products are also available in ex-protected design.
Which lighting levels need to be observed?
"The same light for all" is not an adequate workplace solution. Because it depends on the individual visual task and how much light is needed in the workplace. A general lighting system ensures uniform illumination of the entire work area but does not consider the lighting requirements of individual room sections or workstations. Appendix 1 of the ASR A3.4 specifies the minimum values to be observed for the illuminances and colour reproduction indices for the different areas.
Table: Recommended lighting levels:
| Workspaces, jobs and activities | Lux Illuminance lx | Colour rendering index Ra |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic areas and corridors without vehicle traffic | 50 | 40 |
| Traffic areas and corridors without vehicle traffic in the area of paragraphs and steps | 100 | 40 |
| Traffic areas and corridors with vehicle traffic | 150 | 40 |
| Shipping and packaging areas | 300 | 60 |
| Storage rooms for identical or large-scale storage goods | 50 | 60 |
| Storage rooms with search for non-identical storage | 100 | 60 |
| Storage rooms with reading tasks | 200 | 60 |
| Colour test, control | 1000 | 90 |
| Laboratories, measuring stations | 500 | 80 |
| Trimming, finishing, control work in the chemical, plastics and rubber industries | 750 | 80 |
| Manufacture of tools and tools in metalworking and processing | 750 | 60 |
| Surface treatment and varnishing in metalworking and processing | 750 | 80 |
| Tool-, Gauging and device construction, precision and micromechanics in metalworking and processing | 1000 | 80 |
| Painting: Repair, inspection in the automotive industry | 1000 | 90 |
| Cable and wire production in the electrical industry | 300 | 80 |
| Impregnation of coils, electroplating in the electrical industry | 300 | 80 |
| Rough assembly work in the electrical industry, e.g. Large transformers | 300 | 80 |
| Medium-size assembly work in the electrical industry, e.g. Switchboard | 500 | 80 |
| Fine assembly work in the electrical industry, e.g. phones | 750 | 80 |
| Very fine assembly work in the electrical industry, e.g. measuring instruments | 1000 | 80 |
| Electronic workshops, testing, adjustment | 1500 | 80 |
| Quality control in woodworking and processing | 1000 | 90 |
The temperature may be 0.6 times lower than the average illuminance at no point in the workplace area. The lowest value must not be within the range of the main vision task.
Suppose minimum illuminance levels of more than 500 lux are stipulated. In that case, they do not necessarily have to be achieved at the entire workplace but only at the partial surfaces relevant to the visual task. Partial lighting can be used, for example, when a particular visual task (working with small parts, short observation periods) or when adaptation to the individual's vision of the employees is necessary. Here, for example, the use of additional workplace lighting is recommended.
The following infographic illustrates the different lighting requirements in a workshop:
What do I need to know about installing and maintaining lighting systems?
It is advisable to plan and maintain lighting systems by a qualified person. After installing the lighting system and the necessary firing time, compliance with the legal requirements should be checked using control measurements.
Periodic testing and maintenance are also necessary to correct any changes in the lighting parameters and any contamination or damage.
What can I do to avoid glare?
To prevent glare, lighting should be selected to provide adequate visibility in work areas, but operating conditions must also be considered. It may also be helpful to reduce differences in brightness between the glare source and the environment (for example, due to bright ceilings and walls) and reflections due to matt surface design.
Lighting that offers a wide range of adjustment and positioning options is ideal here. In our online shop, you will find practical models for installation in the office, on drawing tables, or in workshops.
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