A commercial business monitoring its own environmental conditions needs to look at heat, air, noise and light. These are the key environmental factors that can impact on an employee’s workstation and hence need to be monitored to ensure the employer is fulfilling their duty to provide a safe and comfortable workplace. Light is included in these safe working conditions and there are minimum and maximum legal limits in which people can safely work. In other words, an employer needs to monitor light levels to ensure a workplace is not too dark or too light in which to safely work.
There are other safety factors related to lighting also, in terms of checking the electrical safety of the installation, but with this article we are strictly looking at how the lighting performs.
What are LED lights?
LED stands for light emitting diodes. These are the most popular types of lights currently used. They are a semi-conducting light source, meaning they produce light when an electrical current runs through them, rather than producing light when a filament heats up, like a traditional incandescent bulb. LEDs are known as ‘solid state’ lighting, because there are no moving parts or filaments that can wear out.
As a result of this, LEDs are known to be the most energy efficient form of lighting. They convert a higher percentage of electrical energy into light than other light sources. They are also smaller, more durable and have a longer lifespan. LEDs are also very versatile and are used in general lighting, both indoors and outdoors, for homes and offices, as well as for specialist needs such as indicators, displays and street lighting.
What is LED testing?
LED light testing is the process through which we evaluate and assess the performance of LED lighting. We need to ensure it meets regulatory standards and therefore produces a level of lighting that is suitable for the working environment and is within the minimum and maximum permitted levels. A working environment that is too dark can be dangerous and can lead to an employee feeling tired and unproductive, while a workplace that is too light can cause eye strain, headaches and can have a health impact on eyesight.
From a safety point of view, a commercial organisation also has to carry out routine testing of emergency lighting. This is a failsafe system of LED lighting that only comes on when a power outage has caused the main lights to shut down. Emergency lighting levels have to be of sufficient luminescence so employees can see adequately and can make their way to an escape route or emergency exit. So periodic testing of emergency lighting is very important.
How do we test LED lighting?
We use an LED light meter to test LED lighting, such as the TIS 1310 Digital LED Light Meter supplied by Test Instrument Solutions. This is able to test the functionality of LED lights, as well as the Lux levels they are producing. Lux is the most common unit of measurement for illuminance, which is the total amount of visible light falling on a surface, and therefore is the common way we measure suitable light levels in a commercial or industrial setting.
Most digital LED light meters measure a range of Lux, such as 0.01 to 200,000 Lux, which enables you to test from very dim light levels, to the brightest lights used to illuminate sports stadiums. The LED light meter will work to a minimum and maximum setting, meaning you can easily assess whether a location falls within regulatory limits. And you can also get an average measurement, in order to establish if the average reading for a larger working area also falls within regulatory limits.
Please note that this section is for information purposes only. Anyone using equipment referred to in this section must be suitably qualified and/or experienced within the respective field. If in doubt before use, please consult a qualified electrician or engineer & thoroughly read all instruction booklets.