Site lighting

What you need to do

Every part of a construction site that is in use should, as far as possible, be arranged so that natural light is available for people to see to do their work and move about the site safely. Where natural light is inadequate or not available, artificial lighting should be provided.

• Where work will continue outside daylight hours or the building or structure is enclosed, artificial lighting will be required.
• Make sure that any artificial lighting does not change the apparent colour or visibility of any safety signs or other safety related items such as fire extinguishers.
• With both daylight and artificial light, shadows can obscure hazards both at the workplace e.g. making it difficult to see the blade of a cutting disc or a drill bit and on the site generally e.g. at stairwells. If necessary, provide extra lighting to illuminate shadow areas.
• Where failure of the primary artificial lighting would be a risk to the health or safety of anyone e.g. someone working on a tower scaffold in a basement may fall while trying to descend in the dark, provide emergency lighting.
• Where it is not possible to have lighting that comes on automatically when the primary lighting fails, torches or other similar lights may provide suitable lighting.
• Emergency routes (corridors, passageways etc. that people must follow in an emergency to escape from danger) should be kept well-lit while there are workers on the site. Where daylight provides adequate lighting, no further action is required.
• Where emergency routes need artificial light, provide emergency lighting that comes on if the primary lighting fails e.g. battery or emergency generator-powered lighting.
• Emergency lighting does not have to provide the same level of lighting as under normal circumstances; merely enough to enable escape.