LED lighting for paint booths and painting areas
Use of the correct lighting in paint boots supports workplace safety and performance. Failure to choose the right products can result in shadows in the booth and on the object being painted. Knowledge of the role of lighting in these areas, the features of the luminaires, and the installation regulations is therefore crucial. LED luminaires have the longest useful life and are highly durable and sustainable.
In this article we will talk about...
- The role of lighting in paint booths
- Installation requirements and current regulations
- Luminaire features
- The benefits of proper lighting
- SECOM luminaires
The role of lighting in paint booths
With the right luminarias installed, the paint colours on a panel look the same as they would under natural light. This increases the productivity of the paint operator and provides a safer workspace.
Performance
Proper paint booth lighting ensures good colour perception and prevents shadows that impede vision or create a false sense of the size of an object. Paint operators can carry out their work more effectively and with increased productivity. They can choose the right colour combination from the outset, preventing the need to redo their work and saving time and money.
Safety
A paint booth that is properly lit supports workplace safety and risk prevention: operators have a bright workspace, unobstructed vision and can see and avoid potential risks. They also enjoy greater visual comfort.
Installation requirements and current regulations
The lighting in a paint booth must meet a series of legal installation requirements.
Regulation 025 of the Department of Work and Welfare
This regulation details the requirements that a workplace lighting system must meet to ensure proper visibility in each area. Each workspace must have specific physical and digital documentation in that regard.
The lighting conditions and levels in all areas and at all workstations must be assessed and evaluated and the results compiled in a report. In addition, employees must be informed of the risks of their jobs. Lighting levels must be monitored and emergency lighting systems must be installed and undergo subsequent regular maintenance.
The regulation also sets out employee obligations, such as reporting any safety risks they identify and making correct use of the systems at their disposal.
Luminaire features
Paint booths are specialist work areas requiring luminaires with a specific set of features.
Amount of light
The required light levels start at 20 lux for transit and surveillance areas, and vehicle parking and movement. The amount of light increases from there depending on the tasks carried out. For example, high precision painting and finishing workshops require 750 lux, as do quality control laboratories.
For work processes requiring even greater precision, such as complex parts assembly and inspection, or finishes with fine polishing, 1000 lux is appropriate. The most specialist detail work requires a light level of 2000 lux. This ensures low contrast when painting in small spaces for several hours at a time, when conducting highly specialist work or when the objects are extremely small.
Colour temperature
Car dealerships usually work with colour temperatures between 4000 and 5000 K, but the painting zones in the workshops need at least 4500 K to ensure painting errors or defects can be identified.
CRI>80
The CRI or colour rendering index should be above 80 to support high-definition tasks.
The benefits of proper lighting
The right lighting system can reduce visual fatigue, prevent workplace risks and support employees to produce more precise work. LED products in that sense are effective, last for years without needing replaced, and consume between 20% and 80% less energy than older systems.
Worker performance
Visual clarity and good lighting conditions help create a comfortable environment for painting professionals, in turn supporting the quality and precision of their work and increasing their productivity.
Accident prevention
Supporting employee well-being and providing good lighting conditions improves worker performance and reduces the number of accidents, resulting in fewer absences for health reasons. LED luminaires also stand up well to explosions or fires in the workplace.
Quality
High precision work is made possible with the right lighting conditions. What is more, painting quality improves when the lighting system is equipped with the right power, colour temperature and CRI.
Reducing visual fatigue
Visual fatigue can be a serious problem in paint booths and painting areas. However, it can be mitigated by installing a quality lighting system with the right power and brightness.
SECOM luminaires
SECOM stocks a range of cutting-edge luminaires which are highly durable and perform wonderfully in paint booths. For example, the Berna range is resistant to heat and impacts. These LED screens are ideal both indoors and outdoors and are particularly suited to humid and unprotected work areas.
In short, since the lighting in paint booths must adhere to a specific set of quality conditions, each area should be equipped with luminaires designed with these in mind.
