What health effects can poor lighting have? Lighting at work is very important to the health and safety of everyone using the workplace. The quicker and easier it is to see a hazard, the more easily it is avoided. The types of hazard present at work therefore determine the lighting requirements for safe operation. Poor lighting can not only affect the health of people at work causing symptoms like: eyestrain, migraine and, headaches.
But it is also linked to Sick Building Syndrome in new and refurbished buildings. Symptoms of this include: headaches, lethargy, irritability and, poor concentration.
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Generally, regarding workplace health and safety, the employer must ensure that the physical environment of the place of work is adequate. Work areas should be large enough to be safe and healthy and be adequate with regard to stability, ventilation, fresh air, temperature and lighting.
The General Application Regulations, 2007, address the issue of workplace lighting as follows...
Natural and artificial lighting.
8.
An employer shall ensure that—(a) places of work receive, as far as possible, sufficient natural light and are equipped with artificial lighting adequate for the protection of the safety and health of the employer’s employees,
(b) lighting installations in rooms containing workstations and in passageways are placed in such a way that there is no risk of accident to the employer’s employees as a result of the type of lighting fitted, and
(c) places of work in which the employer’s employees are especially exposed to risks in the event of failure of artificial lighting are provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity.
In general, lighting should be sufficient to enable people to work and move about safely. If necessary, local lighting should be provided at individual workstations and at places of particular risk such as crossing points on traffic routes. Lighting and light fittings should not create any hazard.
Automatic emergency lighting, powered by an independent source, should be provided where sudden loss of light would create a risk.
The applicable International Standard: ISO/CIE 8995-1:2002 Lighting of work places - Part 1: Indoor.
By law, as an employer, you must assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from poor lighting.
Assessing lighting in the Workplace
It is important that lighting in the workplace:
allows people to notice hazards and assess risks;
is suitable for the environment and the type of work (for example, it is not located against surfaces or materials that may be flammable);
provides sufficient light (illuminance on the task);
allows people to see properly and discriminate between colours, to promote safety;
does not cause glare, flicker or stroboscopic effects;
avoids the effects of veiling reflections;
does not result in excessive differences in illuminance within an area or between adjacent areas;
is suitable to meet the special needs of individuals;
does not pose a health and safety risk itself;
is suitably positioned so that it may be properly maintained or replaced, and disposed of to ensure safety;
includes, when necessary, suitable and safe emergency lighting.
Lighting Hazards
There are several lighting hazards in the workplace which can affect the health and safety of people. Typical risks from lighting originate from:
lighting effects;
incorrect lighting design;
improper lighting installation, maintenance, replacement and disposal;
improper selection of emergency lighting
Your Risk Assessment regarding work and hazards affected by lighting require some objective evidence of adequacy. This is done by measuring the light levels (illuminance) and other lighting effects at your workplace.
Lighting is measured by a suitable lux meter and the results checked against recommended illuminance for differing types of work. These performance-related requirements and light levels are detailed in the CIBSE Code for lighting.
Some typical recommendation are given in the table below.
Activity | Typical locations/type of work | Average Illuminance (lux)lx | Minimum measured illuminance (lux)lx |
Movement of people, machines & vehicles | Lorry park, corridors, circulation routes | 20 | 5 |
Movement of people, machines & vehicles in hazardous areas; rough work not requiring any perception of detail | Construction site clearance, excavation and soil work, loading bays, bottling & canning plants | 50 | 20 |
Work requiring limited perception of detail | Kitchens, factories assembling large components | 100 | 50 |
Work requiring perception of detail | Offices, sheet-metal work, window door manufacture | 200 | 100 |
Work requiring perception of fine detail | Drawing offices, factories assembling electronic components, textile production | 500 | 200 |
We provide a written Report in all instances which will detail...
The Report will aid in demonstrating that you, as an employer, have fulfilled your obligation under Health & Safety Law to do 'all that is reasonably practicable' to create and maintain a safe workplace.
