Lighting Systems Competent Person
Assesses workplace and emergency lighting: illuminance and glare measurement, maintenance factors, and periodic inspection against ASR A3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1, coordinated with the DGUV Vorschrift 3 testing regime.
ASR A3.4 · DIN EN 12464-1 · DGUV Vorschrift 3
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What does a Lighting Systems Competent Person do?
A Lighting Systems Competent Person (Sachkundiger für Beleuchtungsanlagen) assesses and inspects workplace and emergency lighting so that staff can see their work safely and escape routes stay usable. The work is anchored in the workplace lighting rule ASR A3.4, which gives the minimum illuminance levels for the Arbeitsstättenverordnung, and in DIN EN 12464-1, which sets the lighting requirements for indoor work places including illuminance, uniformity, and glare limits. The electrical safety of the installation is checked within the DGUV Vorschrift 3 testing regime for electrical equipment.
In practice the competent person measures illuminance at the relevant task areas, evaluates glare and uniformity, and checks the maintenance factor so that the lighting still meets the required level over its service life, not just when newly installed. For safety lighting, they verify that emergency and escape-route lighting reaches the required levels and switches on when the normal supply fails, as ASR A3.4 and the safety-lighting standards require. Findings drive cleaning, relamping, or redesign.
The role connects two regimes. The lighting levels and ergonomics come from ASR A3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1, while the electrical installation behind the luminaires, its insulation, protective measures, and emergency-power supply, falls under the periodic inspection of electrical systems coordinated with DGUV Vorschrift 3. The competent person documents each measurement and inspection, the values found against the targets, and the corrective actions, providing the employer with the evidence that the workplace lighting meets the Arbeitsstättenverordnung and that the emergency lighting will work when it is needed.
Core duties of the Lighting Competent Person
- Measure illuminance at task areas against ASR A3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1.
- Assess glare (UGR) and illuminance uniformity per DIN EN 12464-1.
- Check the maintenance factor so the lighting holds its level over its service life.
- Verify emergency and escape-route lighting levels and switch-over on supply failure.
- Coordinate the electrical inspection of luminaires and circuits with DGUV Vorschrift 3.
- Plan cleaning, relamping, and redesign based on measured findings.
- Set inspection intervals from the risk assessment under the Arbeitsstättenverordnung.
- Verify lighting for special areas such as outdoor workplaces and traffic routes.
- Document measurements, target values, and corrective actions.
- Advise the employer on lighting upgrades and energy-efficient solutions.
When is a lighting competent person required?
The Arbeitsstättenverordnung requires workplaces to have lighting suited to the visual task and to provide safety lighting where the failure of normal lighting would create a hazard. The concrete levels and the assessment method are set out in ASR A3.4 for workplaces and in DIN EN 12464-1 for indoor work places. To verify compliance, the employer needs a competent person with the knowledge and the measuring equipment to assess illuminance, glare, uniformity, and the maintenance factor, and to evaluate the emergency lighting.
There is no single statutory certificate for a lighting competent person; the requirement is sufficient technical knowledge of the lighting rules and standards and the ability to measure and evaluate correctly. The electrical inspection of the installation must be carried out by a qualified electrician (Elektrofachkraft) within the DGUV Vorschrift 3 regime, with intervals derived from the risk assessment. Inspection and measurement should be repeated periodically, after changes to the workplace or the lighting, and whenever the maintenance factor or complaints suggest the level has dropped. The measurement records, the comparison with the ASR A3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1 targets, and the emergency-lighting test results form the documentation the supervisory authority expects.
- Workplace lighting required by the Arbeitsstättenverordnung
- Minimum illuminance levels of ASR A3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1
- Safety and escape-route lighting where failure creates a hazard
- Electrical inspection within the DGUV Vorschrift 3 regime
- Changes to the workplace, lighting, or visual task
Where lighting assessment applies
- Offices and administration
- Manufacturing and assembly halls
- Warehouses and logistics
- Healthcare and laboratories
- Retail and showrooms
- Education and public buildings
- Underground car parks and tunnels
- Outdoor workplaces and yards
How CIVAC supports the Lighting Competent Person role
CIVAC gives the Lighting Competent Person a workspace that keeps measurements and inspections on schedule. Task templates capture the illuminance, glare, and uniformity checks against ASR A3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1, plus the emergency-lighting test, with the target and the measured value recorded side by side. Reminders schedule the periodic re-measurement and the electrical inspection coordinated with DGUV Vorschrift 3, and fire after any change to the workplace or lighting. Findings spawn corrective tasks for cleaning, relamping, or redesign, each tracked to closure with a full audit trail. The documentation pillar holds the measurement records and emergency-lighting results for the supervisory authority. All data is stored on EU data residency infrastructure within the European Economic Area.
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