Lighting in work centers
Visual fatigue") is caused if workplaces and traffic routes do not have sufficient lighting, whether natural or artificial, adequate and sufficient at night and when natural light is not sufficient.
The lighting installations in the premises, workplaces and traffic routes should be placed in such a way that the type of lighting provided does not pose a risk of accident to workers.[1].
Premises, workplaces and traffic routes where workers are particularly exposed to risks in the event of failure of artificial lighting must have safety lighting of sufficient intensity.[2].
Poor lighting causes visual fatigue" in the eyes, harms the nervous system, contributes to poor quality of work and is responsible for a good part of work accidents. A lighting system must meet the following requirements:
• - Lighting must be sufficient and necessary for each type of work. The optimal lighting for the human eye is that which achieves a luminance (lighting density) of 100 Cd/m² (candelas per square meter). A luminance difference greater than 10:1 produces glare.[3].
• - Lighting must be constant and uniformly distributed to avoid eye fatigue, which must adapt to the variable intensity of light. Violent contrasts of light and shadow, and oppositions of light and dark, should be avoided. The maximum recommended contrast for light is 3:1, this means that the lighting in the "central" areas does not exceed the lighting in the dark areas by more than three times (to avoid problems of adaptation to the light, which in a room would be 5 minutes of light adaptation time). (DIN 5035 regulations).
• - The light sources must be placed so that they do not dazzle or cause eye fatigue due to constant adaptations.[4].
Some measures that can be taken to meet these requirements are:.
• - Install light sources outside the direction of vision.
• - Use light diffusers, or barriers (for example matte glass, perpendicular metal sheets in office fluorescent tubes,...).
• - Placement of lights, fluorescent tubes parallel to the source of vision (they come towards us)...
• - Selection of lamps and bulbs with a low lighting density (luminance), for example fluorescent tubes or LEDs (5 watts can give 400 lumen) instead of traditional light bulbs (about 60 watts can give 800 lumen).
• - Use matte surfaces to avoid glare due to light reflection.
For precision work and visual acuity requirements, it is required that the distance to the workpiece be less than 600 mm, that the viewing angle be greater than 30 degrees, and that the illumination be greater than 500 lux.
For a desired light intensity (luminance), it is obtained with a number of watts per square meter (W/m²) of ceiling at a certain height (2 m / 3 m / 4 m):
• - (1000) - 50 / 60 / 64.
• - (750) - 38 / 45 / 48.
• - (500) - 25 / 30 / 32.
• - (300) - 15/17/19.
• - (200) - 10/11/13.
• - (100) - 5 / 6 / 6.
• - (50) - 3 / 3 / 4.
To this we must take into account that the efficiency of our vision changes with the light intensity (luminance); for example, at 75 lux it is 78%, at 100 lux it is 82%, at 250 lux it is 85%, at 500 lux it is 88%, at 1000 lux it is 90%, at 2000 lux it is 95%, and at 10,000 lux it would be the assumption of 100% efficiency. Furthermore, we must take into account the importance of contrast.
The UNE 12464.1 standard,[5] which is mandatory for member countries of the European Union, sets the levels required for indoor workplaces. Standard that must be followed at the origin of all lighting projects for indoor workplaces.
According to the World Labor Organization, lighting requirements in the workplace are divided into five different categories, depending on the level of detail required by the job.[6].
Depending on the color of the emission source, there is an effect on people's mood: white power supplies (daylighting) "activate" (produce a "daytime mood"), while traditional bulbs, with a high composition of red, produce passivity and an evening-night mood (sunset).
Another characteristic is that red and infrared are thermal emitters, with high heat transmission, and that they are the wave frequencies that plants mainly absorb during photosynthesis (hence they leave the residual frequencies, which they do not process into chemical energy: green).
Depending on the emission temperature, a color temperature is obtained, related to the heat sources. Traditional light bulb: 2800K (Kelvin); warm bulbs: 2900K; white light: 4000K; daylight (noon, clear sky): 5200 K; daylight (on cloudy days, which is bluer): more than 6000 K.
Depending on the color of the light, lamps are classified into three categories: warm light (high percentage of red, traditional bulb), neutral light (for work, offices, stores, etc.), and daylight (used in high lighting intensity needs).
A lighting standard is DIN 5035.
Minimum luminous emittance (emitted luminosity) for work centers according to different tasks.
Sight requirement - Luminous emittance (lux) - Example:.
• - (very low) - 50 - Traffic areas, warehouses, etc.
• - (low) - 100 - Rest areas.
• - (few) - 200/300 - Mechanical and workshop work, welding, planing, etc.
• - (average) - 500 - Offices.
• - (high) - 750/1000 - Technical drawing, precision mechanical work.
• - (very high) - 1500 - Manufacture of watches.
• - (Out of the ordinary) - 2000.