There are a few factors that dictate how much light your job site needs. Of course, for safety’s sake, the goal is to illuminate every inch of working space properly. When choosing a light intensity, you need to consider the OSHA standards, which outline what’s required at specific site types, such as a construction zone or warehouse, to be at least three and five foot-candles.
Whereas a lumen measures the amount of light produced, a foot-candle depicts the relationship between distance and lumens. Essentially, the relationship breaks down to the greater the surface area, the higher the number of lumens needed for complete illumination. Since commercial lights aren’t measured in foot-candles, though, the simplest way to think of this is a foot-candle equaling one lumen per square foot. Based on this, if you’re working in a 1,000-square-foot space, you need at least 1,000 lumens. Keeping all of that in mind, it’s important to note that it’s incredibly rare for a workspace to be a large, open blank canvas. There will typically always be something casting a shadow, so while the broader space may benefit from one of Makita’s larger area lights, there may be nooks where something like Makita’s 18V LXT Cordless Tower Work Light or a plug-in hanging light, would work best.
