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Insufficient lighting in the workplace is a safety hazard that can contribute to a number of issues impacting an employee’s ability to egress in an emergency, operate machinery, and focus on the tasks at hand. Poor lighting conditions can lead to accidents from slips, trips, and falls, or from missing important details on safety signs or equipment.
OSHA’s requirements for industrial workplace lighting take into account the lighting direction, quantity, intensity, and the work being performed.
Scope
All general industry employers are required to follow OSHA’s lighting requirements in all environments where work is being performed.
OSHA’s general industry regulations, for the most part, do not go into specifics about the amount of illumination required in the workplace. In general, OSHA uses the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act to cite most hazards related to poorly lit workplaces, often referencing the ANSI standard (which is now replaced by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America [IESNA] RP-7: Practice for Industrial Lighting).
Generally, the lighting levels are based on the work environment and types of tasks that are being performed in that environment. In some cases, OSHA spells out illumination levels for specific circumstances, such as for powered industrial trucks, and exit routes.
Regulatory citations
- 1910.178(h)(2) — Powered Industrial Trucks
- 1910.37(b)(6) — Exit routes
- 29 USC 654 — Duties of employers and employees (including Pub. L. 91–596 “OSH Act of 1970” 5(a)(1), the “General Duty Clause”)
- ANSI A11.1-1965, R1970 — Practice for Industrial Lighting
- Illuminating Engineering Society of North America [IESNA] RP-7: Practice for Industrial Lighting
Key definitions
- ANSI A11.1-1965, R1970: The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) Practice for Industrial Lighting. OSHA has incorporated by reference ANSI A11.1-1965 and R1970 into the OSHA requirements for illumination in industrial settings.
- General Duty Clause: Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which requires that every worker must be provided with a safe and healthful workplace. It specifically states: “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”
- Foot-candle: The amount of light a single candle emits when viewed from a distance of 1-foot away.
- Foot-lambert: A measurement of the illumination as it is viewed on the projection surface.
- Lux: The light level intensity.
- NFPA 101: The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Life Safety Code. OSHA commonly references resources such as this when citing employers with poor lighting conditions under the General Duty Clause.
Summary of requirements
OSHA outlines the following regarding lighting:
- Provide appropriate levels of illumination for the area.
- Low hazard areas such as offices and retail stores should be illuminated to at least 0.5 foot-candles.
- High hazard areas and/or areas with fine detail-oriented activities should be illuminated to at least 5.0 foot-candles.
- Powered industrial truck operation requires a minimum of 2 lumens per square foot or directional lighting will be required to be added to the truck.
- Exit routes must have adequate lighting for an employee with normal vision to safely egress.
- Illuminate emergency lighting and signage:
- Emergency lighting and signage must be automatically illuminated for a minimum of 1.5 hours when normal lighting systems are not operating.
- Exit signs must be illuminated to least five foot-candles by a reliable light source and have a distinctive color.
- Self-luminous or electroluminescent exit signs must have a surface illumination value of at least .06-foot lamberts.
- Place light fixtures are required to be greater that 7-feet from the work surface or
- be protected by a shatter-proof protector; and
- not have any exposed parts; and
- firmly mounted; and
- not have any large openings that a finger could fit through.
- Use rated lighting fixtures that are designed for the environment in which they are used, such as:
- Wet or damp environments.
- Areas with combustible dust.
- Consider how light within the workplace is affected by other factors:
- Lighting age and style may impact the lighting’s intensity and may take excessive time to warm up to acceptable levels.
- Reflectiveness and colors of materials in the area can impact the lighting in the room.
- The level of cleanliness of the lights and facility can affect a room’s lighting.
- Follow additional requirements for specific industries:
- 1910.261(a)(3) – Pulp and paper mills
- 1910.265(c)(2) – Sawmills
- 1926.56 – Illumination (Construction industry)
- 1915.82 — Lighting (Shipyards)