IES Footcandle Recommendations ww w. iuse elite.

com

The following footcandle ranges represent the Illuminating Engineering Society’s (IES) current illuminance (light level)
recommendations.
Individual applications will determine exact footcandle levels. To maximize energy savings, identify over- or underlit spaces and
use IES recommendations to establish new light levels appropriate for your application.
Please refer to the IES Lighting Handbook for more detailed information. Unless otherwise
stated, values shown represent horizontal range.

Airplane Manufacturing Food Service Facilities

Drilling, riveting, screw fastening.................................75 Dining areas
Final assemble, hangar...............................................100 Cashier.......................................................20-50
Inspection..............................................................50-200 Cleaning.....................................................10-20
Welding..........................................................................50 Dining...........................................................5-20
Food courts.....................................................30
Auditoriums Food displays..........................................30-100
Social activities..........................................................5-10 Kitchen/food prep...................................50-100
Assembly only..........................................................10-20
Exhibitions...............................................................10-50 Foundries
Annealing furnaces...................................20-50
Automobile Manufacturing Cleaning.....................................................20-50
Final assembly, finishing, inspecting.........................200 Core making.............................................50-200
Body & chassis assembly...........................................100 Inspection
Body parts manufacturing..........................................100 Fine........................................................100-500
Frame assembly............................................................50 Medium....................................................50-100
Molding....................................................50-200
Automotive Pouring, sorting.......................................50-100
Showroom.............................................................25-100
Service area...........................................................25-100 Garages-Motor Vehicles
Sales Lot (exterior) Storage..............................................................5
Lighting Zone 3 (urban)..........................................10-40 Traffic Lanes
Lighting Zone 2 (suburban)...................................7.5-30 Parking garage...............................................10
Parking (open)
Banks Zone 3 (urban)............................................0.5-3
ATM..........................................................................10-40 Zone 2 (suburban)......................................0.5-2
Lobby general...........................................................10-50 Service garage...........................................10-20
Writing areas............................................................20-70 Entrances........................................................50
Teller stations, posting & keypunch......................50-150 Repair area...............................................50-100

Barber Shops Gas station.................................................10-15

Beauty Parlors........................................................50-100
Chemical Works.............................................................30 Grocery, Supermarkets............................25-100
Laboratory (professional)......................................75-120 Circulation..................................................10-40

Clothing Manufacturer Gymnasiums

Receiving, storing, shipping,winding, Assemblies......................................................10
measuring................................................................20-50 General exercise
Pattern making, trimming......................................50-100 & recreation....................................................30
Shops, marking......................................................50-200 Locker room..............................................10-30
Cutting, pressing.............................................100-500(a) Exhibitions, matches......................................50
Sewing, inspection..........................................200-500(a) ...
Hospitals, Healthcare
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing Rooms........................................................10-30
Impregnating...........................................................20-50 Corridors, lobby............................................5-30
Insulating coil winding, testing............................50-100 Emergency rooms...................................50-100
General nursing station.................................30
Exterior General waiting areas....................................10
Entrances........................................................................5 Operating rooms...................................100-200
Safety........................................................................0.5-2 Stairways........................................................10
Hotels Off-set printing and ww w. iuse elite.com
Bathrooms....................................................20-50 duplicating area...........................................20-50
Bedrooms for reading...................................20-50 Open office...................................................30-50
Corridors, elevators and stairs.....................10-20 Restroom.....................................................7.5-30
Front desk...................................................50-100 Spaces with VDT’s............................................75
Linen room Whiteboard (reading)..................................7.5-30
Sewing......................................................100-200 Whiteboard (presenting).............................15-60
General..........................................................10-20
Lobby Paint Shop
General lighting.............................................10-20 Spraying, rubbing,
Reading and hand art, stencil...........................................20-50
working areas...............................................20-50 Fine hand painting & finishing..................50-100

Industrial/Manufacturing Paper Manufacturing

Assembly & inspection (simple)..................15-60 Beaters, grinding.........................................20-50
Component manufacturer (large part)........15-60 Finishing, cutting.......................................50-100
Component manufacturer (med. part)......25-100 Hand couting.............................................50-100
Assembly & inspection (difficult)..............50-200 Paper manchine reel, inspection............100-200
Component manufacturer (fine part).......50-200 Rewinder...................................................100-200
Assembly & inspection (exacting)...........150-600
Printing
Iron & Steel Manufacturing Photo engraving, etching,
Stock, hot top, checker blocking........................................................20-50
cellar, calcining.............................................10-30 Color inspecting.......................................100-200
Building, slag pits, stripping yard.....................20 Presses.......................................................50-100
Control platforms, repairs, Proofreading............................................100-200
mixer building....................................................30 Composing room.......................................50-100
Rolling mills..................................................30-50
Shearing.............................................................50 Retail
Tin plate.............................................................50 Circulation area stockroom.........................10-30
Motor room, machine room..............................30 Department store........................................20-80
Inspection........................................................100 Discount/Warehouse
Drug/Convenience.....................................25-100
Laundries Merchandising, serviced............................30-100
Washing........................................................20-50 Merchandising, self-service............................200
Ironing.........................................................20-100 Shopping mall...................................................30
.
Library Schools (Educational)
Ordinary reading, stacks..............................20-50 Auditorium......................................................3-10
Book repair and binding...............................20-50 Dormitory......................................................20-30
Study & notes, cataloging, Cafeteria......................................................20-30
card files, check desk.................................20-100 Classrom (general)......................................30-50
Corridor.........................................................10-40
Machine Shops Gymnasium
Rough bench.................................................20-50 Class I (pro of div. 1 college)...........................100
Medium bench, rough Class II (div. 2 or 3 college)...............................75
grinding, buffing..........................................50-100 Class III (high school).......................................50
Fine bench and work...........................200-500(a) Class IV (elementary).......................................30
Laboratory (classroom)...............................50-75
Offices Lecture hall.....................................................100
Accounting..................................................50-100 Reading......................................................20-100
Audio-visual areas........................................20-50 Typing.........................................................20-100
Conference areas.........................................20-70 Demonstrations........................................100-200
Corridors, stairways.......................................20(k) Sewing......................................................200-100
Drafting.......................................................50-200
General and private offices........................50-100 Sheet Metal Works
Lobbies, lounges, break rooms, and General............................................................100
reception areas...............................................0-30 Tin plate inspection,
Mail sorting.................................................50-100 galvanized, scribing.................................100-200
Stairways, Corridors ww w. iuse elite.com

General.............................................................5

Textile Mills
Cotton picking, carding,
roving, spinning.............................................50
Beaming & slashing....................................150
Drawing.......................................................200
Others..........................................................100

Toilets, Washrooms........................................5

Warehousing, Storage
Inactive.......................................................5-10
Raw material processing (active)
Rough bulky items...................................10-20
Small items................................................15-60
Medium...........................................................20
Fine.............................................................20-50
Cold storage...............................................10-30
Open warehouse.........................................10-30
Receiving/shipping dock..............................5-20
Receiving/staging.......................................15-60
Warehouse w/aisles...................................10-30

Materials Handling
Loading dock.............................................10-30
Picking stock classifying..........................20-50
Wrapping, packing, labeling.....................20-50

Assembly
Rough easy seeing.................................20-50
Rough difficult seeing............................50-100
Medium................................................100-200
Fine..................................................200-500(a)
Extra fine.......................................500-1000(a)

Welding
General....................................................20-50

Woodworking
Rough sawing and bench work...............20-50
Sizing, planing, rough sanding,
medium quality machine and
bench work, gluing,
veneering, cooperage..............................20-50
Fine bench and machine work,
fine sanding and finishing......................50-100

Workshop..................................................30-75

Notes:
(a) Obtained with a combination of general
light plus specialized supplementary
lighting
(k) Or not less than 1/5 the level in adjacent
areas