Proper general and task lighting is important in industrial plants, both as a means to meet the guidelines set forth by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and for safety and compliance with the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA) regulations.

General Guidelines

The guidelines set forth by IES are task-specific, ranging from a low-intensity value of 5 foot-candles per square foot in an inactive warehouse to 1,000 foot-candles per square foot for extra-fine bench and grinding work. A foot-candle is the amount of light given off by a candle at a distance of 1 foot. Foot-candles should not be confused with lumens, or the amount of light actually hitting a square foot. OSHA regulations also are task-specific but are not suggested guidelines; they are minimum amounts of light per square foot that must be met to avoid fines for non-compliance. These regulated values range from 3 foot-candles per square foot in active storage areas to 5 foot-candle per square foot in warehouses, hallways and 30 in offices and first aid stations. OSHA regulation 1926.56(b) also states, "Other areas. For areas or operations not covered above, refer to the American National Standard A11.1-1965, R1970, Practice for Industrial Lighting, for recommended values of illumination." In addition, states may pass industrial plant lighting regulations that are more stringent than OSHA regulations. Prior to installing lighting in an industrial or work environment, always check state and local laws as well as the OSHA, IES and ANS regulations and guidelines. Charts listing the IES guidelines are available online.

Source:

Progress Energy: Industrial lighting

OSHA: Illumination

More Information:

Lumens, Illuminance, Foot-candles and bright shiny beads...