Workplace Lighting Ordinance: More than just a legal text
When we talk about workplaces, many people immediately think of ergonomic chairs, flexible working hours, or digital tools. But one thing is often underestimated: lighting. It's no coincidence that the Workplace Ordinance sets such clear guidelines for lighting. After all, light determines how we perceive spaces, how focused we are at work—and how comfortable we feel.
👓 What exactly does it say?
The Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV) regulates minimum standards for safety and health in the workplace. For lighting, this is specified in the Technical Rules for Workplaces, particularly in ASR A3.4 "Lighting and Visual Connections" (BAuA, PDF). It states, among other things:
Sufficient daylight is mandatory wherever possible.
Artificial lighting must be uniform and glare-free.
The illuminance is based on DIN EN 12464-1 (2021) – for screen work, for example, at least 500 lux.
Emergency and safety lighting is also required to ensure orientation in an emergency.
At first glance, this seems very technical, but there is actually something very simple behind it: people should be able to see well, work safely and stay healthy.
📐 More than brightness
"The main thing is brightness" – this phrase is often misleading. Because lighting quality means much more. The ArbStättV therefore refers to DIN EN 12464-1 (2021), which defines detailed requirements. Key requirements include, for example:
Glare-free: Without sun protection or glare control, eyes tire quickly.
Colors and contrasts: Good color rendering (CRI) ensures precise work.
Light color: Warm light supports well-being, cooler light promotes concentration.
🌞 Daylight – the underestimated factor
The German Workplace Ordinance explicitly emphasizes the importance of daylight. Natural light regulates our circadian rhythms, energizes us, and has a proven positive effect on our mood. Daylight control systems—such as reflective surfaces or adaptive facades—help harness this effect year-round.
The BAuA publication “Workplace Lighting – Current Regulations” (PDF) shows very clearly: Only the combination of natural and artificial light creates healthy working conditions in the long term.
🛠️ And what does that mean in practice?
For us lighting planners in Berlin this means:
We do not see the regulation as a checklist, but as an invitation to make spaces better.
Instead of just fulfilling norms, we translate them into atmosphere and identity.
We do not use specifications such as 500 lux as a rigid number, but rather as a starting point for flexible, sustainable lighting concepts.
For example, in an office project, we implemented the required ambient lighting with an indirect ceiling solution – glare-free and efficient. Only with additional accent lighting and controllable light colors did we create a space that was not only functional but also inspiring.
🏠 Conclusion: Law + design = added value
The workplace lighting regulations aren't a creative killer, but rather a foundation. They provide us with security and direction, while still allowing enough scope for atmosphere, sustainability, and emotional quality.
Or as Sabine De Schutter puts it: “Light is not just a function – it is an expression of how we experience spaces.”
👉 If you'd like to know how we combine legal requirements with atmospheric added value, contact us. We'll show you how standards can be not only met, but exceeded.
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