S.I. No. 196/1959:

OFFICE PREMISES (STANDARDS OF LIGHTING) REGULATIONS, 1959.

OFFICE PREMISES (STANDARDS OF LIGHTING) REGULATIONS, 1959.

I, JOHN LYNCH, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by subsection (2) of section 12 of the Office Premises Act, 1958 (No. 3 of 1958), after consultation with the Minister for Health and having referred the proposals to which effect is given by the following regulations to the Advisory Council, hereby make the following regulations :

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Office Premises (Standards of Lighting) Regulations, 1959.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of April, 1960.

2. The standard of sufficient and suitable lighting for parts of offices in which persons are employed in clerical work (other than the work of drawing) shall be a level of illumination of fifteen lumens per square foot at every place where such clerical work is being carried on, the intensity of illumination to be measured in the horizontal plane at desk level.

3. The standard of sufficient and suitable lighting for parts of offices in which persons are employed in the work of drawing shall be--

(a) a general level of illumination of fifteen lumens per square foot, the intensity of illumination to be measured in the horizontal plane at desk level, and

(b) on drawing boards, a level of illumination of twenty lumens per square foot.

4. The standard of sufficient and suitable lighting for parts of offices in which persons are not employed in clerical work shall be a general level of illumination of seven lumens per square foot, the intensity of illumination to be measured at floor level.

5. Where the use of artificial lighting is necessary to attain for part of an office the standard of sufficient and suitable lighting prescribed therefor by these Regulations and where, due to the loss by the lighting installation in such part of its initial efficiency, the level of illumination provided thereby falls, effective provision for securing and maintaining sufficient and suitable lighting in such part shall be deemed to be made so long as--

(a) where such part is a part to which Regulation 2 and paragraph (a) of Regulation 3 of these Regulations relates, the level of illumination provided by such installation does not fall below ten lumens per square foot ;

(b) where such part is a part to which paragraph (b) of Regulation 3 of these Regulations relates, the level of illumination provided by such installation does not fall below fifteen lumens per square foot ; or

(c) where such part is a part to which Regulation 4 of these Regulations relates, the level of illumination provided by such installation does not fall below five lumens per square foot.

6. The standards prescribed by Regulations 2 and 3 of these Regulations shall be without prejudice to the provision of any additional illumination required to render the lighting sufficient and suitable for the nature of the work.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 23rd day of November, 1959.

(Signed) JOHN LYNCH,Minister for Industry and Commerce.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The purpose of this Order is to prescribe standards of lighting for offices.