What are the office lighting standards?
Lamps that meet lighting standards at the workplace are a fundamental issue that every employer should take care of. One area where correct lighting plays a very important role is office work. The requirements that lamps for this application must meet are precisely defined in the regulations. In today's text, we explain, among other things, what the characteristics of correct lighting in office spaces are and how to light a computer workstation in order to guarantee the right working conditions.
Lighting legislation for offices
Creating proper working conditions in the office is one of the basic roles of an employer. This follows from Article 207 § 2 of the Labour Code, which informs about the employer's duty to protect the health and life of employees by providing them with safe and hygienic working conditions through the proper use of scientific and technological achievements. The company must ensure that the chosen lighting in the office premises has the right parameters for safe and efficient work. The choice of office lighting is also determined by legal regulations contained in the Decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy on general regulations of safety and hygiene of work. which introduce the requirement that electric lighting with parameters compliant with Polish Norms should be installed in work premises.
What standards govern office lighting?
The requirements to be met by office lighting are expressed in various standards. Which office lighting standards should be taken into account when choosing lamps?
- PN-EN 12665:2008 Light and lighting - Basic terms and criteria for specifying lighting requirements.
- PN-EN 12464-1:2011 Light and lighting - Lighting of workplaces. Part 1: Workplaces in interiors.
- PN-EN 12464-1:2004, the lighting standard that regulates the required illuminance for different workplaces,
- PN-EN 12464-1:2012 which defines the lighting of workplaces equipped with monitors.
What information and recommendations can be found in the above standards? The Polish Standards divide luminaires into:
- general lighting, the purpose of which is to illuminate a certain area uniformly,
- spot lighting, which consists of additional light sources directed at the object of visual work,
- Composite lighting, which is a combination of general and spot lighting.
The guidelines contained in the PN-EN 12464-1:2004 lighting standard also play an important role. They define the required illuminance levels for safe, effective and comfortable working. According to it, the minimum illuminance level for workstations in offices is respectively:
- 500 lux - at workstations where activities such as manual typing, keyboard work, reading and data processing are performed, such as computer workstations, meeting rooms and conference rooms,
- 300 lux - this value is required for reception desks, as well as workstations where filing and copying of documents is performed,
- 200 lux - this illuminance is required for archives and storerooms.
The standard for office lighting also indicates that there should be continuous daylight and, independent of daylight, electric lighting in the office. The average illuminance in the office should be a minimum of 300 lux, while the desk top alone should be illuminated with 500 lux.
How to properly light a computer workstation?
In order to be properly prepared, a workstation equipped with a monitor needs to be carefully thought out and planned at an early stage. It should be set up close to a window, so that valuable daylight is available. However, this is not usually sufficient for comfortable working. Office lighting standards therefore require that this type of workplace be equipped with additional artificial lighting. It is necessary to select luminaires that are adapted to the tasks performed here, such as reading, writing or working with a keyboard.
The required illuminance at the tabletop level should be at least 500 lux. However, this level of intensity is not beneficial at the screen plane, as it negatively affects the readability of screens. The key here, therefore, is the correct positioning of the lamps - this avoids the annoying glare effect that reduces working comfort and the well-being of employees. Those considering how to light a computer workstation should also remember to avoid directionally reflective luminaires.
How do you choose office lighting?
In addition to the criteria presented so far for the selection of office lighting, there are other important issues to pay attention to. One of these is the colour rendering index CRI - as its value increases, so does the quality of the rendering of the natural colour of objects. This affects the wellbeing and concentration and productivity of employees. It is also important to choose a light source with the right colour temperature - for offices, lamps with a light temperature of around 4000 K are ideal. Another point to take care of is the high quality of the luminaire. Good quality lamps for the office guarantee excellent longevity and aesthetics, and additionally avoid the flickering effect that negatively affects the mood of employees.
When looking for the right luminaires for the office, it is worth directing your attention to energy-efficient LED luminaires. As Lena Lighting, we offer a wide range of office luminaires that meet the requirements of office lighting standards and are also reliable and attractively priced.
Summary
Office lighting should comply with the requirements of regulations and standards. When designing office lighting, it is important to ensure adequate access to daylight and to provide the rooms with the electrical lighting intended for them. When selecting lamps, aspects such as the following should be taken into account:
- light intensity measured in lux,
- colour temperature (in Kelvin),
- the colour rendering index CRI,
- durability,
- energy efficiency,
- quality,
- visual aspect.
As a Polish lighting manufacturer Lena Lighting, we offer modern, energy-efficient LED light fittings for the office. Among the products available from us, you can find both ceiling lamps in the form of plafonds, LED louvers or oblong beams, which can function as general lighting, and spot lighting, including desk lamps, wall lamps and lower pendant lamps. We invite you to take a look at our range.