7. Lighting

Background
Natural and artificial light sources that emit visible light (light with wavelengths between 400 - 780 nm) can illuminate persons and objects that are in their vicinity, so that these objects can be perceived by the human eye. The quality of lighting in a given space does not only determine the quality of the work we can carry out in that space, but also contributes to the subjective experience of that space (visual comfort), and therefore also to the well-being of the worker . The luminous intensity I is measured in Candela (Cd) in one direction, perpendicular to a surface. Units derived from the luminous intensity are the luminous flux (illuminance in all directions in lumens, lm or cd.sr), specific luminous flux orluminous efficacy (in lm / W), luminance (brightness in cd / m²) and illuminance (lux, lx = lm / m²). Very high light levels (luminance> 10000 cd / m²) may be acutely harmful to the eye(e.g. looking into the sun for several minutes, unshielded halogen lamp, flame arc upon welding, ...) and it is also possible that lifetime exposure to high light levels (~ = 3000 cd / m²)causes damage. With interior lighting, there will rarely be any direct health damage, but of course complaints can occur (eye fatigue, headache, more errors, other hazardous conditions) when illuminance (the light level in the workspace is too low, there is not enough light at work , there is too much light on a document (holder)), light direction (there isinterference from reflections in the visual display, there is nuisance from glaring, there is nuisance from shadows, ...) or color characteristics are suboptimal or when glaring occurs.

Legislation

Standards

  • NBN EN 12464-1:2011 Light and lighting - Lighting of work places - Part 1: Indoor work places
  • NBN EN 12464-2:2007 Light and lighting - Lighting of work places - Part 2: Outdoor work places
  • NBN L 13-001/A1:1979 Interior lighting of buildings - General principles
  • NBN L 13-002:1972 Daylight of building - Prediction of daylight illumination for clear skies conditions (graphical basis)
  • NBN L 13-003:1980 Code of good practice on lighting in museum and from museum objects
  • NBN L 13-004:1981 Indoor sports lighting
  • NBN L 14-002/A1:1979 Methods of predetermination for illuminances, luminances and glare indices in artificial lighting of enclosed spaces
  • NBN L 14-002:1975 Methods of predetermination for illuminances, luminances and glare indices in artificial lighting of enclosed spaces
  • NBN EN 1838:2013 Lighting applications - Emergency lighting
  • more information on http://www.nbn.be

Documentation

Tools

  • CatRayon4 (French) program of the INRS that allows to calculate exposure to artificial optical radiation at the work place and to choose protective equipment
  • ETAP software

Websites