Illumination standards for effective and comfortable vision

Consulting psychologists should be informed regarding adequate and hygienic factory illumination. Proof is submitted to show that recommendations for light intensities needed for specific visual tasks are often based upon misinterpreted data. Intensity of light is measured in foot-candles, and tables are given to indicate the approximate light intensities from different sized frosted bulbs as well as critical levels of brightness for efficient performance in reading, school achievement, sorting mail, type setting, computing arithmetic problems, clerical work, and surgical operations, as well as for corridors, tennis courts, and drafting rooms. For reading, the critical level is between 3 and 4 foot-candles. In industry most operations can be performed comfortably and efficiently under approximately 10 foot-candles of light. For exacting visual tasks 20 to 25 foot-candles are required. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) Language: en