Adequate warehouse lighting is a critical aspect of any type of warehouse. A warehouse that is too dark is dangerous and it can cause accidents. A warehouse that has too much light can be a problem as well.
Both people and equipment need to be able to move around safely in the warehouse without any adverse effects from accidental injury or machinery malfunctions. You don’t want to spend money on buying and installing lights for your warehouse only to find out the lighting arrangement does not work for you and you need to change it.
dIn this article, Lightingandsupplies.com will discuss what type of commercial lighting is needed in an industrial warehouse, the different types of commercial lights available, and how proper lighting can help improve business operations.
What is the purpose of industrial warehouse lighting?
The main reason for employing lights is to illuminate areas from which you wish to create visibility. Creating a well-lit space allows the warehouse workers to see things better, enabling them to work more effectively and efficiently during work hours, especially during the night when things are substantially dark.
A properly planned industrial warehouse lighting scheme allows you to create different areas within a workplace with different levels of brightness and allow workers the ability to customize their work environments by choosing which task they need to be performing at a designated time.
Choosing the correct commercial indoor lighting fixtures can also promote safety and help prevent accidents and which makes production time more efficient and reduce costs. Appropriate industrial warehouse lighting is an excellent investment as it is beneficial for both the company and its employees.
Benefits of Proper Industrial Warehouse Lighting
Safer Workspaces
Proper illumination improves safety in the workplace, this goes especially for industrial warehouses. The illumination level needed for safe work is dependent on the equipment being used and the area where the people are working. If there are dangerous materials being handled, more accurate lighting levels are needed. If more precise levels of lighting are required, LED lights are the way to go due to their inherent luminance and energy efficiency. Such lights can also be placed in your warehouse without much of a problem as they don’t generate much heat, and they are very low maintenance due to their long lifespan.
Other than brightness, you also have to consider the glare your light fixtures produce. Having an excessive amount of glare in the workplace can be distracting which will decrease productivity and increase the likelihood of accidents. Constant exposure to glare can also result in eye strain and discomfort.
Increased Productivity
Proper industrial warehouse lighting can help increase productivity as it allows your employees to see much clearer and go about their daily tasks with ease. They will also be able to move around the workplace more comfortably, which lessens the amount of time wasted and increases productivity. Efficiency and productivity are a must when it comes to industrial warehouses as they are responsible for the transportation and storage of goods which usually have a short lifespan. A well-lit area is also good for morale: humans are much more likely to work in a clean environment where they can see well.
Minimized energy consumption and costs
Choosing the right industrial warehouse lighting can also help you to save money and energy. As mentioned before, LED lights are considerably more energy-efficient than other lighting technologies like metal halide, incandescent, and fluorescent lights. They are much more cost-efficient and they will eventually yield savings on your warehouse’s energy bill.
Insufficient lighting in warehouse spaces can also cause breakdowns in temperature and humidity, which will lead to condensation and mold growth. Hence, the right lighting will not only ensure a comfortable work environment but also save your business money in the long run.
Lighting Fixtures Commonly Found in Industrial Warehouses
Bay Lights
Bay lights are industrial light fixtures that require a high power wattage. They are suspended in the warehouse’s ceilings using hooks or chains and they produce a bright light that glows over 8000 lumens, all while reducing glare. Depending on the industrial warehouses’ ceiling height, the two variants of bay lighting you have to consider are high bay and low bay lighting.
High bay lighting
High bay lights are usually suspended in a ceiling around 20-40 feet from the floor. Some industrial warehouses have high bay ceilings which makes this type of lighting suitable for this kind of application. High bay lights focus light more directly to illuminate spaces with a 90-degree beam angle.
Low Bay lighting
Low bay lights are lights that are very similar to high bay lights, but they are installed closer to the floor. A low bay light is usually intended for warehouses with lower ceilings under 20 feet in height from the floor. This is one of the most common ceiling heights seen in retail businesses, public buildings, and small warehouses. Low bay lights have a wider area of illumination with a 120-degree beam angle.
Canopy lights
Canopy lights are commonly installed outdoors underneath canopies, as their name suggests. These lights directly illuminate the area below them. Most canopy lights are durable and weatherproof, which makes them ideal for loading zones or other outdoor areas that may be subject to harsh weather conditions. Not only are they ideal for warehouses, but they are also used for similar environments like parking lots, roadside landscaping, and public parks.
LED Retrofit Kits
LED retrofit kits to allow you to convert your existing metal halide or fluorescent lighting into LED light fixtures. These kits are typically made up of an LED light fixture, a ballast, and a reflector. They are made to upgrade the old fixtures in your warehouse without removing them.
Upgrading to LED lighting with these retrofit kits can help you save energy and money since LED lights are significantly more energy-efficient than metal halide or fluorescent lighting. LED retrofit kits can be used for many different types of warehouse lighting, including high bays, canopy lights, bay lights, troffers, and much more.
Final Thoughts
Proper industrial warehouse lighting is the key to creating a comfortable working environment, the right lighting will also increase productivity, reduce accidents and injuries, and ultimately help your business save money in the long run. Industrial warehouse lighting is very important when it comes to determining the overall quality of your business. So, if you’re opening up a new warehouse or you’re planning to upgrade your existing one, bear these things in mind!
Top Rated Wholesale LED Lighting Supplier – Lighting and Supplies
As one of the best wholesale lighting distributors in the United States, Lighting and Supplies provides a wide variety of indoor and outdoor light fixtures to accommodate all of your customers’ commercial and residential electrical and lighting project needs. For electricians, contractors, lighting engineers, project managers and more, we can help source the lights you need by providing a lighting quote or creating a proposal for the right lights in your lighting specification process or next lighting design project.
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