Safety lighting: exterior illumination at an existing US government facility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine safety lighting at an existing US government facility. Design/methodology/approach – Field measurements of exterior illumination were conducted at four building sites housing laboratories, offices and a cafeteria at night and the findings were compared to the industry recommendations, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) safety lighting recommendations. Findings – Laboratory, office and cafeteria building exteriors were classified as “high hazard” due to area wildlife, potentially dangerous equipment and chemicals, the threat of intruders, and uneven terrain. Some sites' existing light levels fell far below industry recommendations and others greatly exceeded recommendations. Most of the existing lighting was uneven, unsustainable, rendered colors poorly, produced glare and/or remained energized when no one was present. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited by the small number of sites and limited geographical area of the sites. Lighting field studies can improve user safety, save energy and reduce facilities' waste. Practical implications – This study employs a relatively simple approach to examine safety lighting that facility managers could adapt for their own facilities to inform improvements. Originality/value – The current lack of lighting field studies, safety lighting research and case studies regarding government facilities is addressed by contributions of this research.