La iluminación en un lugar de trabajo tiene una gran influencia en la funcionalidad y seguridad del espacio.

Buena iluminación keeps your employees healthy and safe from unwanted accidents.

Working places like construction sites and manufacturing facilities often have bad vision rates.

The workers do not see things properly due to dust and particles in the area. This causes severe accidents.

And you may end up dealing with hospital bills and lawsuits. In such situations, OSHA steps in.

OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

It is an organization that ensures that your workplace is safe and has proper light sources.

OSHA lighting standards 1910 are designed to ensure that workplaces are adequately lit to promote safety, efficiency, and worker health. 

Aquí, vorlane le orientará sobre los estándares de iluminación de OSHA para empresas industriales.

¿Cuál es el significado de una vela de pie?

The measuring unit or component of OSHA is known as the Foot Candle.

If you want to know more about what exactly OSHA standards are, then you should learn about Foot candles.

It is a unit of measurement used to quantify light intensity.

It means that it calculates the amount of light that falls on a surface area. The formula to calculate foot-candle is:

Foot-Candle = Lumen / Square Foot.

Where lumen is the total amount of visible light emitted by a light source.

Another unit to measure light intensity is lux (lx), which is calculated as follows:

Lux = Lumen / Square Meter

OSHA requires adequate lighting through the set quantities for these measurement units to ensure workplace safety.

Niveles de iluminación recomendados por OSHA para oficinas

Light has a great influence on workers’ ability to see computer screens.

A good amount of light helps workers to see computers easily.

At the same time, inappropriate light causes eye strain in employees while working.

The level of Luz que necesitas en una oficina. es muy diferente de la luz que necesitas en otro lugar de trabajo.

A continuación se detallan las pautas recomendadas por OSHA para iluminación de oficina:

  1. Utilice una luz de escritorio y luces de trabajo en cada mesa de trabajo.
  2. Aplicar persianas y cortinas en las ventanas. Protege su lugar de la luz brillante y brillante.
  3. Coloque las computadoras y las pantallas en el lado opuesto de la ventana, donde la luz no incida sobre las pantallas.
  4. Aplicar acabados mate y colores claros en techos y paredes para suavizar el reflejo de la luz y reducir el contraste.

Estándares de iluminación en el lugar de trabajo: limitación mínima

Guided by the recommendations from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), OSHA has set the following lighting levels: 

General construction area lighting needs a minimum of 5-foot candles.

Shops and plants need at least the brightness of 10-foot candles.

The minimum level of brightness standard varies for various construction workplaces:

  1. Enfermería y lugar de primeros auxilios: 30 ft-c
  2. Salidas, pasillos y almacenes: 10 pies-c
  3. Túneles y pozos subterráneos: 5 pies-c
  4. Áreas de desechos, áreas de almacenamiento, plataformas de carga y áreas de reabastecimiento de combustible: 3 pies-c

In common commercial places, the minimum lighting requirements are as follows

  1. Salas de exposición, oficinas y laboratorios: 500 lux
  2. Talleres y fábricas: 750 lux
  3. Almacenes y muelles de carga: 300-400 lux
  4. Stairwells, corridors, and lobbies: 200 lux
  5. Pasillos de almacén: 100-200 lux

OSHA Lighting Requirements

Los requisitos de cubierta de luz de OSHA indican que se necesitan placas protectoras para todo tipo de luminarias.

Además, las luminarias deben contar con un escudo protector que las proteja contra eventos no deseados. 

Particularly areas where light fixtures have a chance of getting damaged.

The same advice goes for pull boxes, fittings, and junction boxes.

Ventajas de seguir los estándares de iluminación de OSHA

OSHA workplace lighting standards basically present multiple benefits.

It significantly enhances work productivity.

Moreover, a comfortable and serene environment enhances the employee’s mood.

Ultimately, it will increase work productivity and positive results.

All of these factors combine together and bring productivity.

OSHA standards ensure that your workplace adheres to all rules for minimum lighting required.

Safety should be your priority in your workplace.

Because it determines the reputation of your company as a brand and you as an employer.

Additionally, no one wants to collaborate with a firm that does not have any security.

They always feel unsafe while working with you.

Los riesgos de no cumplir con los estándares de iluminación de OSHA

Los inspectores de OSHA multan a la empresa si no sigue las normas de iluminación de OSHA.

The companies have to deal with the following penalty amounts in this case:

  1. $16,131 costs if you do a serious violation of the rules
  2. $16,131 per day if you fail to Abate previous violation
  3. $161,323 costs if you repeat the violation

Las empresas que no cumplen con las normas de iluminación de OSHA también tienen que enfrentar otros riesgos de pagar mucho dinero por

  1. En primer lugar, hay demandas de responsabilidad disponibles por lesiones personales o muerte por negligencia del trabajador o empleado. En segundo lugar, hay frecuentes inspecciones y citaciones en diversas áreas.
  2. Thirdly, boycotts from regular authorities like DOL or EPA
  3. La empresa tiene mala reputación, lo que provoca la cancelación de contratos, la pérdida de proyectos y el boicot de futuras colaboraciones.

You have to remember that you and your contractors both follow the OSHA lighting standards.

Their negligence also results in your fall.

Moreover, the process of managing contractors’ compliance takes time.

But now we have contractor compliance software, which makes the process easy and efficient.

Requisitos de instalación de iluminación de OSHA

El 1910.305OSHA La norma presenta los requisitos de instalación de iluminación.

The rules and regulations for permanent and temporary artefactos de iluminación are the same.

The ground conductors of light must safely be grounded.

Do not use ducts that have flammable vapors or dust to install any kind of wirings.

Moreover, the temporary lights under 600 volts must follow the safety rules more closely.

They should only be utilized in repair, remodeling, or emergency work.

Iluminación de tareas y de emergencia

Las luces de trabajo están especialmente diseñadas para apuntar la luz a un área específica.

Además, la Norma 1910 gestiona el uso de la iluminación de emergencia.

Most of the standard rules for general lights and emergency lights are the same.

The only difference is that temporary installation of light above 600 volts is used in emergency works, tests, or temporary construction tasks.

Las normas de iluminación de OSHA protegen a los trabajadores

The safety lighting standards of OSHA protect employees.

It ensures that the workplace has enough illumination to prevent injuries and accidents.

OSHA safety lighting standards protect the worker by the following:

Identificación de los peligros

Proper lighting in a workplace ensures that the worker has visibility.

It protects workers from getting injuries due to obstacles, equipment malfunctions, and spills from the lack of visibility.

Además, good lighting También permite a los trabajadores identificar la situación de emergencia y responder a ella rápidamente.

Prevenir lesiones

If the workplace does not have proper lighting, it will increase the chances of injuries and accidents.

Inadequate lighting makes it difficult for employees to see the areas clearly.

Additionally, the OSHA lighting standards guarantee that there should be enough brightness in the workplace.

So people can easily see and protect them from unwanted injuries and accidents.

Lighting the Way: A Manufacturing Facility’s Journey to Compliance

In the heart of industrial America, a mid-sized manufacturing facility faced a common challenge: outdated lighting that dimmed productivity and raised safety concerns.

The journey to compliance with OSHA lighting standards wasn’t just about ticking boxes; it was about turning a dimly lit workspace into a beacon of efficiency and safety.

El reto

Workers strained to see in poorly lit areas, leading to errors and accidents.

The existing fluorescent lighting was inefficient, casting uneven shadows and hiking up energy costs.

La solución

The facility embarked on a comprehensive lighting overhaul.

The key to the transformation was the switch to LED lighting, which was chosen for its energy efficiency and longevity.

Task-specific lighting was installed at workstations, ensuring precise tasks could be performed safely and effectively.

Overhead LEDs brightened common areas, while motion sensors and dimmable options added layers of efficiency and control.

El resultado

The results were illuminating. Not only did the facility meet OSHA’s stringent lighting standards, but it also saw a significant drop in workplace accidents.

Workers reported less eye strain and higher satisfaction with their improved environment.

Energy costs plummeted thanks to the efficiency of tecnología LED.

Conclusión

The OSHA light standard ensures that your workplace has a functional and safe environment.

It keeps the workers safe from any unwanted accidents.

Moreover, It must be difficult to comply with all the rules and regulations in a workplace.

However, it is essential for a safe working place.

Therefore, make sure to get help from Vorlane to make your compliance management easier and faster. Contáctenos ¡ahora!

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