How much light does a workplace need?
Plan the visual task, uniformity and maintained illuminance together.
Requirements depend on the visual task. Reading, circulation and quality inspection need different lighting. Examples from DIN EN 12464-1:2021 include 500 lx for office reading and 1,000 lx for industrial quality inspection. These are task examples, not universal room targets.
Design uses maintained illuminance, allowing for ageing and dirt. Uniformity, surroundings, daylight and surface reflectance also matter. The actual task and additional requirements determine the final specification.
The design documents should explain the assessment height and area. A floor measurement answers a different question from a desk assessment. Moving workstations, changing activities or adding obstructions can invalidate original assumptions. A documented room and usage plan allows targeted recalculation and places additional light where it is actually needed.
What to clarify for your project
- Identify room use and exact visual tasks.
- Record working planes, mounting heights and reflectance.
- Check maintained values and uniformity in the design report.
Remember: Calculate lighting for the actual task rather than only the average brightness of the room.