Australia’s peak lighting industry body has launched a new accreditation program for businesses operating within the sector.
The accreditation by the Lighting Council Australia (LCA) will assess six key skills: regulatory compliance, product safety and conformity, environmental responsibility, social responsibility, quality systems and product stewardship.
Businesses that want to apply for the certification need to undergo an online assessment. They must provide evidence of compliance across all six skills.
Upon successful completion, the LCA issues a Certificate of Accreditation. That accreditation is then maintained through an annual audit and compliance reporting.
A list of accredited members will also be published on the LCA website.
LCA CEO Malcolm Richards says the program, which has been developed via consultation with industry, members and key stakeholders, will help curate a high-quality, sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible lighting industry.
“We are committed to providing businesses across the sector with the tools they need to take their operations to the next level. This landmark accreditation program is a giant step in that direction,” Richards says.
“Upon completion, a business is provided credentials showcasing a high degree of excellence, demonstrating that it has met rigorous benchmarks that distinguish it as an industry leader. This can be used in areas such as business marketing and other forms of industry engagement.”
Richards says the latest program will reassure prospective customers that the business they are engaging with complies with all local regulations and works within the parameters of the industry’s framework of best practices.
Campaigning for sector reforms
In February, the LCA launched a campaign urging a crackdown on the use of unsafe exit signs.
It specifically took aim at photoluminescent exit signs, which it claimed posed a safety threat due to “extremely poor visibility in a darkened space during an emergency”.
These signs are marketed as an alternative to traditional battery-powered exit signs.
The LCA created a video highlighting the difference between the visibility of battery-powered exit signs and their photoluminescent exit signs under low ambient light conditions, and said the results found in the video were “alarming”.
LCA warned building owners against installing glow-in-the-dark exit signs. It said that photoluminescent signs fade to less than 100th as bright as the battery-backed signs, meaning the exit door locations are not adequately identified in an emergency situation.
It noted that the acceptable minimum level of exit sign luminance to ensure safe egress in emergency evacuation scenarios is between 8 cd/m² and 15 cd/m².
Noncompliance, which may apply to employers, tenants, building owners and even facility managers, can be serious.
Maximum penalties under WHS legislation for serious breaches can result in fines up to $3 million for corporations, and up to $350,000 and five years imprisonment for individuals.
In the event of a death as a result of noncompliance, it warned, more serious penalties apply in the event of workplace manslaughter.
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