Avoid accidents with proper lighting
Poor lighting conditions can be a particular hazard in factories, as they can also lead to dangerous tripping accidents. But too bright light can also dazzle or cast diffuse shadows.
In addition to accident hazards, many health aspects play a role in optimal lighting. Especially in shift work, lighting can have an impact on health. Thus, the European standard has now also been DIN EN 12464-1 "Light and Lighting - Lighting of Workplaces" is updated and provides important information for companies and planners.
The new standard essentially defines lighting requirements for occupational visual tasks. It was published in November 2021 and proposes lighting solutions for most indoor workplaces and associated surfaces.
Unlike its predecessor from 2011, the current version of the standard addresses the needs of users in addition to the minimum requirements and explains the non-visual effects of light. After all, daylight or artificial light is not only used for seeing, it also acts in complex ways: Light clocks the "internal clock" and coordinates most bodily functions in a 24-hour rhythm.
For all types of rooms - from entrance halls to corridors and sanitary facilities - the standard recommends, for example, illuminance levels and values for color rendering. It also provides specifications for special activities, such as welding, patient care in the healthcare sector or teaching on the blackboard.
"A successful lighting design can support employees and thus contribute to productivity and well-being. Unfortunately, this also means that poor lighting can have a negative impact on work results and, in the worst case, provoke accidents," says Dr. Jürgen Waldorf, Managing Director of the industry initiative Licht.de.
Source: licht.de
