Corridor Lighting
Hospitals are usually very large and complex. Internal transitory routes form the
operational backbone of the hospital. Interconnecting all areas within the hospital
they must safely orientate, provide route guidance and visual information if they
are to function correctly. Unfortunately the lighting in these areas is often
misunderstood and designed purely as a functional afterthought. It is absolutely
essential to devote the effort required to light these routes correctly given that the
operational success of the hospital will depend on it.
One very important consideration is that both the lighting design and any luminaires
used are optimised to help reduce the glare and visual disturbance experienced by
trolley-borne patients caused by alternating high and low brightness patterns.
LG2 2007 recommends that the installed lighting provides uniform illumination levels
of 150 Lux at floor levels using luminaires specifically designed or capable of
providing the distribution characteristics that meet the performance and glare
requirements. The installation should also be capable of operating at a reduced
level i.e. 50 Lux while still maintaining a uniformity level of 50% to help reduce the
energy consumption at night or during periods of low occupancy.
A combined control regime utilising switching, time and photoelectric based control
will provide the means of accommodating the varying conditions that exist within
corridors. Automatic dimming should also be used in corridors that receive good
levels of daylight to help lower energy usage. The use of Healthcare Lightings
specifically designed luminaires that use LED technology can meet the reduced
levels required at night for a fraction of the energy cost of a mains controlled system.
