Illumination – Standards, Comparison of Regulatory Requirements

According to the legislation of the Republic of Bulgaria, the officially applicable regulatory act governing conformity assessment is Regulation No. 49 (State Gazette No. 7 of January 23, 1976; amended by No. 64 of 1976).

BDS EN 12464-1, Part: Indoor Workplaces, has the same legal force. Both documents may be cited in the reports issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Committee and in the documents required by the Labor Inspectorate and the Regional Health Inspectorate, although Regulation No. 49 focuses primarily on a quantitative assessment of workplace illumination. Attention is focused on safety and the ability to perform specific work tasks as a function of the luminous flux per unit area.

BDS EN 12464-1: It focuses on new concepts influenced by developments in lighting technology and design and control methods. Concepts such as  светлинен комфорт“ (Visual Comfort) and visual ergonomics. Light is treated as a tool for improving work efficiency and comfort in the workplace. The new standard distinguishes between different work zones and types of workstations. It lists dozens of industries and industrial facilities, healthcare facilities, and so on. It is mandatory for electrical designers to comply with BDS EN 12464-1, especially since it is a technical standard required for software-based design (Dialux). LED luminaires are used in the design process, whereas Regulation No. 49 does not mention them for objective reasons.

Defining the Criteria

Regulation No. 49: It relies on fixed, static table values. The standards are based primarily on the types of light sources used in the past (incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes)

BDS EN 12464-1: Enters a dynamic model with contextual modifiers. Illuminance levels may vary (increase or decrease) depending on the age of the workers, the level of detail required for the task, and the specific characteristics of the environment.

– Greater consideration is given to users’ needs than in the past. As a result, the requirements for the necessary lighting levels are more varied.

– A new chapter on design considerations (Clause 6) provides guidance on how to apply the requirements when designing lighting for visual tasks and activities within a space.

Flickering and strobe effects are being updated.

           A new informational Appendix B is being introduced, which includes examples of how to derive requirements in various applications (office/industrial) for lighting design