Standardisation requirements for lighting fixtures
EN 12464-1: Workplace lighting
National workplace regulations (in Austria §29 para. 2) stipulate that workplaces must be additionally illuminated if necessary, taking into account the state of the art, the respective visual task and the possible hazards at the workplace. European standard EN 12464-1:2021 applies as the relevant state of the art. It defines the requirements for the lighting of indoor workplaces. These are minimum standards, compliance with which is not legally enforceable – nevertheless, labour inspectors can insist on their implementation during inspections. If non-compliance is identified, cost-intensive retrofitting may be necessary. Lighting and electrical planners are responsible for ensuring that lighting systems comply with the requirements. This is often neglected, especially when replacing fluorescent lighting with LED lights.
EN 12464-1 requirements explained simply:
To comply with EN 12464-1, the lighting fixtures must be arranged and combined in the room in such a way that they meet the respective requirements of the workplace and activity. For example, the standard defines requirements for colour rendering (Ra > 80 or Ra > 90) and luminance for computer workstations (< 3000 cd/m² for standard displays and < 1500 cd/m² for negative polarity displays (white text on a black screen)). Further requirements relate to the arrangement of the lighting fixtures in the room. Planners must use lighting calculations to prove that the illuminance for horizontal and vertical surfaces, ceiling areas and cylindrical illuminance is achieved or exceeded. Uniformity (U₀) and contrast glare limit (RUGL) must also be taken into account.
Reflected glare is avoided by not positioning lighting fixtures directly above screens. For communication rooms, it is important to position the lighting fixtures so that the modelling factor, the ratio of cylindrical to horizontal illuminance, is between 0.30 and 0.60.
Best practice
The sales office at XAL headquarters meets all aspects of the ‘state of the art’. As recommended in the lighting standard, LEDs with high colour rendering (CRI > 90) are used. In windowless areas, XPECTRUM LEDs with CRI 98 are used. To avoid reflected glare, no direct-beam luminaires are installed directly above the screen. Direct glare is limited to 1500cd/m2 in accordance with the standard. This ensures that employees can work comfortably and without glare, even with negative screen display (white text on a black background).
Does your lighting design comply with the standard?
We would be happy to advise you.
Other standards and recommendations
- DIN T/S 5031-100: The German Technical Specification recommends age-dependent corrections: e.g. +50% illuminance for 50-year-olds so that it corresponds to the same visual performance of a 32-year-old.
- SLR (Single Lighting Regulation): The European standard regulates energy and lighting requirements for luminaires. Of particular relevance is that the SLR allows for a reduction in illuminance of up to 11% with high colour rendering (Ra 98).
- ÖNORM B 1600: This standard for barrier-free construction is specifically designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. For visually impaired people, it requires increased visual safety by reducing the RUGL value by 3 points – e.g. from < 19 to < 16. This reduces the risk of annoying glare and ensures better visual ergonomics.
Lighting and building certifications
The currently very widespread certifications for sustainable buildings award points for compliance with the requirements of EN 12464-1. In many cases, auditors check whether all standard requirements for obtaining certification points have been met after completion. If a lighting system has already been installed, it is very time-consuming to make subsequent improvements to individual criteria. This is why precise knowledge of and compliance with all standard requirements are so important.