Lighting
Industrial hygienists focus on workplace lighting because poor illumination can lead to safety hazards causing accidents and health concerns. Proper lighting allows employees to see clearly, avoid accidents, and perform tasks without unnecessary physical strain.
Requirements for illumination include OSHA Standards 1915.82, 1926.26, and 1926.56.
Hazards
Hazards related to inadequate illumination include:
- Insufficient lighting: This hazard can cause employees to trip, slip, or fall, and it may also result in mistakes when using machinery or handling tools.
- Glare: Glare occurs when lighting is too bright or poorly positioned, and it reduces visibility while increasing eye strain.
- Shadows: Shadows caused by uneven lighting may hide workplace hazards such as steps, holes, or moving equipment.
- Flickering lights: Flickering lights can lead to headaches, eye discomfort, and decreased work performance.
- Improper light levels: Improper levels of illumination in specific areas, such as first aid stations or inspection workspaces, can make it difficult to perform tasks that require accuracy and attention to detail.
Controls
Methods to control the hazards of inadequate illumination include:
- Engineering controls: Employers can install adequate permanent lighting systems that provide the correct intensity of light for the specific area or task.
- Administrative controls: Employers must schedule regular maintenance to replace burned-out bulbs, clean lighting fixtures, and adjust lighting placement to reduce glare and shadows.
- Portable and emergency lighting: In dark areas or locations without permanent lighting, employers must provide portable or emergency lights to ensure safe visibility.
- Explosion-proof lighting: In areas where flammable vapors are present, employers must provide explosion-proof lighting approved for hazardous conditions.
- Compliance with standards: Employers must also ensure that illumination levels comply with OSHA standards, such as those listed in Table F–1 of 1915.82 below.
| Lumens (foot-candles) | Area or Operation |
|---|---|
| 3 | General areas on vessels and vessel sections such as accessways, exits, gangways, stairs, and walkways. |
| 5 | General landside areas such as corridors, exits, stairs, and walkways. |
| 5 | All assigned work areas on any vessel or vessel section. |
| 5 | Landside tunnels, shafts, vaults, pumping stations, and underground work areas. |
| 10 | Landside work areas such as machine shops, electrical equipment rooms, carpenter shops, lofts, tool rooms, warehouses, and outdoor work areas. |
| 10 | Changing rooms, showers, sewered toilets, and eating, drinking, and break areas. |
| 30 | First aid stations, infirmaries, and offices. |
Note to Table F–1 to § 1915.82: The required illumination levels in this table do not apply to emergency or portable lights.
A foot-candle is a unit of measurement used to describe the amount of light that falls on a surface. One foot-candle equals the light level produced by one lumen of light spread evenly over an area of one square foot. Industrial hygienists and safety professionals use foot-candles to measure whether a workplace has enough lighting for safe and efficient work.
A lumen is a unit that measures the total amount of visible light produced by a source, such as a light bulb or lamp. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light output from the source.
Example: A typical office area usually requires about 30 to 50 foot-candles of illumination so that employees can read, write, and use computers comfortably without eye strain. By comparison, a warehouse walkway may only need 5 foot-candles to ensure workers can move safely without tripping hazards.
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5-8. What is the main risk of glare in the workplace?
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