Winter is coming! Have you carried out your external lighting health check?

The winter nights are drawing in, the clocks are soon to change and it won’t be long before we’re leaving work in the dark. Your external lighting needs to tick a lot of boxes – whether it’s to show your bar or restaurant in its best light or for security when your commercial venue is locked up overnight. There are also specific legal regulations for external lighting which, as a business, must be complied with too.

Don’t get left in the dark when it comes to how to keep your external lighting in check during the winter months – here’s our guide on how to get your commercial venue ready for the approaching season.

PROTECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT WITH EXTERNAL LIGHTING

External lighting is obviously an essential part of building operation and maintenance. Just like the interior of your commercial venue, external lighting also has to meet a number of regulations. However, unlike the interior, this lighting impacts on people beyond your employees and onto the external environment. Much external lighting therefore needs permission from a local authority prior to installation. This includes:

• Poorly-directed lighting creates an unnatural glow which negatively impacts on people’s ability to see the sky. This is most common in urban areas but rural areas are not exempt. Artificial external lighting can destroy an area’s natural beauty if it is not installed with respect for its environment.
• External lighting can cause pollution which could also be a dangerous distraction for motorists if they are blinded by glaring lights in otherwise comparatively dark surroundings.
• If your commercial venue is located in a residential area, external lighting can cause stress and anxiety if it intrudes on the living environment of residential neighbours.

Most local authorities will request supporting information to make their decision. This is likely to include a technical report compiled by a lighting engineer which will look at possible solutions, performance, height and spacing, light levels and the area which will be affected by the external lighting.

Protect your business with external lighting

External lighting for security purposes is a major consideration, no matter what type of commercial venue you look after. Appropriate external lighting is a well-known deterrent for opportunist thieves as it prevents them from having a place to operate out of anyone’s line of vision. However, this type of external lighting requires an expert eye so the chosen lighting solution doesn’t create glare. Any harsh light could mean people could just look away when they pass or that the light creates deep shadows, providing a great spot for thieves to operate undetected. The chosen lighting solution also needs to be properly maintained to ensure it is fully functioning around the clock, particularly during the hours when your commercial premises may not be manned.

Safeguard your bottom line with external lighting

With more dark hours in the day, there is an increased need to illuminate your business for health and safety reasons as well as to let your customers know that you are open for business. Statistics show that more (72%) of pedestrian accidents happen at night than any other time of the day. So, without careful management, your business utility bills could soar.

It will hit your company’s bottom line if your external lighting is not as energy efficient as it could be. LED lighting could well be a winner for your business’ external lighting requirements as it will drive down the costs. A planned schedule of maintenance will also help to reduce costs with a clear and structured approach to keep your external lighting fully functioning. Or, pay-as-you-go may be the best option for you.

External lighting checklist

It will be dark by 4pm before we know it. So, now is the time to run through the following:

• Check that time clocks work, are correct and ready for when the clocks change.
• Do you have daylight sensors installed and, if so, are they fully functioning?
• Carry out any necessary changes in lamps and lighting components.
• Speak to employees and loyal customers to get their views on your external lighting and if it meets their requirements, such as to feel safe.
• Ensure your external lighting solution is as energy efficient as possible.

External lighting should be a business priority at this time of the year to ensure your company and its staff are safe, protected and legally compliant. Shine a light on your requirements with the help of a commercial lighting expert.