FMs Warned to Prepare for Fluorescent Lamp Ban

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20 October 2022

Trade association LightingEurope is urging facilities managers to hurry their buildings’ transition to LED lighting systems, ahead of the August 2023 deadline.

The UK began phasing out the sale of higher-energy halogen lightbulbs in 2018, with the sale of halogen bulbs for general household use in the UK banned from September 2021.

High-energy fluorescent lightbulbs are next to follow suit, with all T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps being banned in the UK from 2023. Next, from September 2023, all halogen pins (G4, GY6.35 and G9) will be prohibited from placing on the market.

T5 and T8 lamps have been popular lighting options globally since their widespread adoption in the 1980s.

Less Than One Year to Go to Replace T5 and T8 Tubes

LightingEurope, known as the voice of the lighting industry, representing 30 companies and national associations, wants building owners to seek expert advice now whilst there is still time to upgrade:

“Now is the time to work with a lighting expert to review your current lighting and plan your transition to LED lighting systems, that can be combined with sensors and controls to deliver significant energy savings and enable better lighting options.”

It is thought that these new rules will mark a shift to longer-lasting LEDs and will stop 1.26 million tonnes of carbon being emitted every year - the equivalent of removing over half a million cars from the UK’s roads.

Energy-Efficient Lighting Options for FMs

According to the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), there are three critical aspects to optimising lighting systems for FMs:

• The quality of light: lighting levels, uniformity; unified glare rating (UGR) and colour rendering
• The quantity of light: watts and lumens, colour temperature and fidelity; useful life expectancy of LED light sources.
• Timing: lighting controls.

LED lighting has long been favoured for its energy-efficient properties and is a great alternative to fluorescent lights. Although more costly initially, their longer lifespan means they are cost-effective, and they can be dimmed to fit in with the season.

According to UK Energy Lighting, switching to LED lighting in offices can help you save up 80 per cent on energy bills. Intelligent LEDs also provide the closest alternative to natural light.

Health and Safety Implications of Lighting

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that different activities require different levels of light, and encourages employers to consider the following:

• The more detailed the task, the greater the light requirement.
• Where individuals are carrying out different activities, they will need control over their local lighting. 
• Studies have shown that giving workers in open-plan offices local control of lighting can increase job satisfaction (and decrease the experience of stress).
• Directional sources of light can bounce off reflective surfaces such as display screens and cause glare. Using blinds, correcting the angle of the source of light and using glare filters can help control this, as can the use of up-lighting.
• All sources of light have a particular colour. Some of these, such as sodium, can make coloured text and diagrams difficult to read.
• Sudden contrasts in light levels (e.g. coming out of a well-lit area into a dark area or vice versa) can be a problem because it takes the eye several seconds to adapt to new lighting conditions. Changes in lighting levels should be made gradually where possible.
• Generally, lighting is designed when the workplace is empty and without consideration of the shadows cast by equipment Pedestrian walkways in these areas should have specific lighting.

Picture: a photograph of a fluorescent tube lamp mounted on a ceiling. Image Credit: PX Fuel

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 20 October 2022

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