Siva K. Haran, P.E., LC, Senior Electrical Engineer, A. Epstein and Sons, Chicago

Lighting Warehouse Aisles

At the risk of making it sound too simple, lighting design for warehouse aisles can be boiled down to two steps: 1) determining the quantity of illumination required at the task and 2) selecting the lighting system by considering functionality or performance, energy and economics. The primary standard to reference, of course, is the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Lighting Handbook , which should be used in conjunction with IESNA Design Guide for Warehouse Lighting DG-2. The latter is presently under revision. Adequate horizontal illumination must be provided not only for safety, but also for navigation convenience and a staff's ability to read documents. Variables to consider are that rack storage areas can vary greatly, according to the material handled, and that visual tasks in warehouse aisles occur on both vertical and horizontal planes. Regarding the latter, the handbook lists footcandle requirements for active areas where staff handles: 1) small items with small labels; and 2) large items with large labels.