Is your security lighting really good enough?

Is your security lighting really good enough?

 

Is the security lighting on your premises good enough? Be it at home, the office or other place of business. Does it make the occupants feel safe and secure? The answer may just surprise you. Despite your very best intentions you might not make the grade when it comes to lighting security.

If you have aging light fixtures that house inefficient bulbs that create glare consider upgrading them to newer types of bulbs with more efficient housings. Also make certain that the fixtures themselves are secure. If not the may be the first targets for vandalism.

To assess whether revamping your lighting is the best option, consider how well the existing lighting eliminates blind spots and allows accurate color perception, navigability, recognition, and identification. Is the lighting well distributed? Is the area around your security camera lit well enough to enable quality video?

Historically, flood lighting has been commonly used to increase security for the simple reason that criminals prefer darkness.  However, the increasing cost of power due to higher demand is causing security professionals to rethink this philosophy, even with the advent of new camera technologies that address low light conditions

What is the functional requirement of the building? How are you expecting to improve your facility’s security?  For example, from an observation standpoint, the quality of the lighting at entrance portals is important for identity verification and to maintain safety in public spaces.

To keep the newly well-lit environment safe after retrofitting security lighting, keep a close eye on the system by visually inspecting it (and the rest of your lighting) every day, Drucker says. This way, you can take quick action if something goes wrong.

For parking lots and other outdoor areas, have emergency lighting available as backup. The design of the new lighting system should allow for the occasional outage without compromising safety, but keeping emergency equipment on hand is never a bad idea.