House lighting levels

[Biskit]

I've tried to search as I was convince something like this must have been discussed before but I couldn't find anything, also everything online seems geared to 'workplaces' such as offices and corridors rather than a public venue scenario.

 

So... we have an issue of access to some chandeliers which form part of our venue house light system. I won't bore with the details but essentially the winches used to lower them in for lamp changing have been deemed unsafe on inspection, and put out of use. There isn't any other straightforward means of access - hiring in a tower scaffold is about the only possibility but even that isn't easy due to the layout of the venue. As you'd expect, lamps are blowing and it's gradually getting darker. The powers holding the budget are dragging their feet on repairing/replacing the winches due to the 'possibility' of a full refurbishment 'soon' (it's all a bit political as you may have guessed). What I could do with knowing is whether there is a particular illumination level which would be considered a safe minimum? I'm seriously considering buying a cheap light meter so I can at least gather and present some numerical evidence of how much it's becoming a problem. Anyone point me to a standard or good practice guide?

 

Note that this related to the 'normal' house lighting only, the emergency lighting is a separate system recently installed, so I'm sure that meets all the required standards etc.

[ImagineerTom]

The only legal answer will be the defined lighting levels for the emergency lighting (15 lux over all exit routes) as that is the absolute minimum acceptable lighting level. Anything else will be recommendations based around phrases like “appropriate” and “suitable” so you won’t find a specific number that is legally binding to hold them to.

[Brian]

Whilst there are, AFAIK, no legally binding minimums, there are plenty of standards and industry codes of practice. And if anyone had an accident as a result of poor light levels you can bet their insurer will be waving them around.

 

The CIBSE publish quite a lot of industry codes which are used by most architects/designers.

 

For example, a 'continuously occupied interior, visual tasks not requiring any perception or detail' needs 200 lux.

[kerry davies]

There are no set numbers for the reason that there are no set theatre layouts and certainly no set theatre customer demographic. It all comes down to Risk Assessment. Do you have steps everywhere, how steep is your balcony, if any, and what sort of barriers does the balcony have? Is your audience predominantly children or a mixed bunch or nearly all disabled pensioners? Do you serve these walking hazards alcohol?

 

If you are trying to justify action on the hoists then your best bet is to make a decent RA emphasising the requirement of that space to have that level of lighting and pass it up the management chain. If people have responsibility for the financial aspects they also need to understand the safety responsibilities that control of spending include. They can't make a holistic, informed judgement on whether or when to spend if they are not aware of the risks, hazards, cost-benefit etc.

 

Personally speaking, if I were forced to use light level guidance I would raise house lighting levels in theatre higher than those for offices simply because of the wide range of demographics that theatres cater for and their lack of familiarity with the space.

[Junior8]

Once they can't read the programme, see any direction signs including seat numbers, negotiate steps and buy and ice cream it'll be too dark. I suspect if they were measured the intensity of houselights would be higher than we suspect. I agree with Kerry. Do and write up an RA immediately and give it to the responsible persons. There are some items of expenditure that are non-negotiable. Question - if the winches are US what is the state of the suspensions?

[adam2]

How about a bit of lateral thinking.

 

Option one------obtain access to the chandeliers by scaffolding and replace EVERY lamp, not just the failed ones, with ultra long life lamps. That should postpone the need for re-lamping for several years, maybe as long as 10 years depending on operating hours and other factors.

 

Option two-----Ascertain what is wrong with the winches, if they are probably sound without any indication of damage or deterioration, but merely overdue for a formal inspection, or perhaps not compliant with latest standards, then I might be tempted to carry on using them. Subject to a written procedure that ensures that no one is below, there is therefore no risk whatsoever to persons, only to property.

 

If however the structure supporting the winches is unsound, then the risk is the continued suspension of the chandeliers over peoples heads, rather than the raising and lowering. In that case a "one off" lowering is required followed by removal until the supporting structure is rectified.

 

 

 

[sunray]

So... we have an issue of access to some chandeliers which form part of our venue house light system.  I won't bore with the details but essentially the winches used to lower them in for lamp changing have been deemed unsafe on inspection, and put out of use.

Alarms are ringing loud in my head but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

If the winches are unsafe, are the chandeliers currently safe?

[Jivemaster]

If the winches are declared unsafe, then any load suspended from them is unsafe. What measures are in place to secure the chandeliers independently from the winches?

 

The least light in which your venue is planned to operate is that from only the emergency lighting, let's hope that system is functional. It will be scarily low light and useless for anything other than making an exit.

 

Yes the work round is to hire the scaffold, and then fit long life lamps. BUT they probably will not dim as well as tungsten.

 

If the winches have been there for a long time, it's likely that this is the first time someone has noticed that they don't have a load marked on them! This automatically fails them for LOLER without load rating and serial number permanently marked, irrespective of their manufactured rating or condition.

[adam2]

Extreme long life lamps don't have to be LED. Extreme life incandescent lamps are still available, one brand is Greenstock.

 

Or look for genuine traffic signal lamps, ones genuinely intended for traffic lights, NOT cheapo dom3st1c rubbish marked "traffic signal" to get round the incandescent ban.

 

Both the above should last 8,000 hours.

 

Or even import some 277 volt lamps from America.

 

 

 

[Biskit]

So... we have an issue of access to some chandeliers which form part of our venue house light system.  I won't bore with the details but essentially the winches used to lower them in for lamp changing have been deemed unsafe on inspection, and put out of use.

Alarms are ringing loud in my head but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

If the winches are unsafe, are the chandeliers currently safe?

Oh yes, they're on dead-hangs (which have been checked and are ok). The weight only goes onto the winches when they are being lowered or raised.

[J Pearce]

Perhaps hire or purchase a manual chain hoist for the purpose of maintenance?

Probably cheaper than getting the old winches up to spec and reapproved.

[Biskit]

That's great, thanks for all the comments guys.

[sunray]

Oh yes, they're on dead-hangs (which have been checked and are ok).  The weight only goes onto the winches when they are being lowered or raised.

Thank heavens for that, so many are left hanging on the ratchet of the winch and even with just a single sisal rope.

 

One theatre I did some work in has 3 chandeliers and each had a sisal coming back to a common electric winch via something like 20 pullies, these would be flown out as the lights faded.

They were so lucky that the theatre was empty when a cord failed and even luckier the cable management slowed the descent enough to prevent catastrophic damage.

Needles to say the system was reviewed during repair.