Code of Practice for Illumination in Industrial premises
CP 87:2001 (Singapore Standard)

The code of practice focuses on optimum performance of persons in indoor industrial premises. Suitable and adequacy of lighting is essential for the safety, comfort, well being and productivity of the persons working in such premises. This code provides the guidelines for lighting requirements in terms of quantity and quality of illumination, lighting systems and lighting measurement, maintenance and improvement of such customised lighting systems for various indoor industrial situations.

Quality of lighting affects vision, especially in inspection work, fine manufacturing, color matching and in home activity such as prolong reading, writing, needle work etc. Below are some points to consider:

Glare - Avoid glares. Those stray bright lights directly or reflected from shiny surface should be minimized. Relocate to an area without glare or reduce the number of lights. One example is to avoid placing the television in front of windows or with direct reflection of windows.

Contrast, distribution & reflection: Visual sharpness are affected by background. A uniformly lighted surrounding will produce a higher level of comfort and efficiency of task. Generally, the brightness of task area should not be higher than the surrounding brightness by 3 times. Use the LITECheck to measure and work out this factor.

Flickers - Noticeable flickers from lighting tubes can raise discomfort and annoyance. Flickers at certain rate can cause slow moving objects appears to be stationery. This may pose a safety hazard. Flickering light tubes should be changed promptly.

The quantity of light is dependable on the task performed. Below is a summary of the brightness level required. With the use of the LITEcheck tester, the brightness level is easily measured in the unit of LUX.

The above requirements are the minimum maintenance brightness. This means light bulbs should be cleaned or replaced if they fall below these standards.

1. Periodical checking the minimal required brightness throughout the life of light bulbs. Using the LITEcheck tester to check brightness of task area to determine if you need to shift the task area nearer to the light source or vice versa, or to perform maintenance.

2. Maintenance of light bulbs - All lighting bulbs or tube will degrade the moment you install them. Because our eyes are very adaptable to changing of light, using our eyes to judge lighting can be very misleading. Different type of lighting bulbs or tubes has varying life-span and they do not burn out immediately but degrade gradually.

Cleaning is the first step to improve brightness. Dust that accumulates on the surface of bulbs, tubes or reflector can reduce brightness substantially. Caution: Remove bulbs or tubes from the fixture and wipe only with a damp cloths. Never clean directly with the bulbs or tubes attached to fixture.

If after cleaning, the brightness does not improve to the required reading, then replacing the bulbs or tubes will be necessary. Procrastination usually is at the expense of our eyes health and that of our family members or children. When myopia is aggravated or worsens, before the bulbs are changed, we change our glasses.

With the regulations, there is an immediate need for all vehicles nationwide to be inspected or re-install tinted windscreens with the required light penetration. Trans Instruments has a pocket size tester that allow workshop technician to perform the test in-house.

The testing procedure is simple. In a bright area but without any direct sunlight on the vehicle, switch “ON” the meter and place it on the inside of the windscreen with sensor facing the tinted screen. Press the HOLD button and record the reading of light with tinted screen as reading A. Now place the meter outside and on top of the windscreen, press the HOLD button and record the reading of light without tinted screen as reading B. Light penetration rat is calculated using the following formula: